THIS year’s Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Cruise Month, beginning today, is set to spotlight the value of the travel advisor, as the sector begins to celebrate the approaching summer season.
This year’s expanded Cruise Month, set to take over all of Oct, will bring a fresh cycle of social media activity, digital advertising, education opportunities, and other initiatives designed to create excitement around cruising and direct consumers to book via their local CLIA travel consultant.
Cruise Month activities will follow four weekly themes: ocean cruising (05-11 Oct), river cruising (12-18 Oct), expedition cruising (19-25 Oct) and luxury cruising (26 Oct-01 Nov).
CLIA will roll out weekly Cruise Month specials, including consumer promotions and travel advisor opportunities, e-mailed every week throughout Oct.
There will also be a a Cruise Month toolkit to help CLIA members craft their own marketing initiatives, offering resources including logos, videos, social media tiles, digital banners, posters, customisable flyers, special offers and promotions, and other marketing assets.
The toolkit also includes a video guide to Cruise Month, explaining how advisors can get involved and launch their own campaigns.
It is available via the CLIA Members hub HERE.
Other key Cruise Month initiatives will include a social media campaign targeting new-to-cruise consumers and established cruisers with videos and imagery, accompanied by online and outdoor advertising.
There will also be a bigger-than-ever webinar program for CLIA member travel agents (CW 23 Sep), and new river and expedition cruise Spotlight Sessions (CW 26 Sep).
Additionally, one CLIA advisor will win a five-star package to attend the 23rd annual Cruise Industry Awards in Sydney next year, to be awarded to the agent who runs the best Cruise Month event or promotion. MS
