Travel Agent - July 7, 2008 - (Page 54)

CRUISES HIGH MARKS for Cruise Industry CLIA study reports good news for cruise lines and agents BY DAVID EISEN THE CRUISE INDUSTRY KEEPS CHUGGING ALONG—SO SAYS THE CRUISE LINES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION (CLIA) IN ITS 2008 CRUISE MARKET PROFILE STUDY. Best of all, travel agents continue to play a vital role in selling cruises: Of the 2,426 U.S. residents over the age of 25 who were interviewed online for the study between March and April 2008, 42 percent (up from 40 percent this past year) said travel agents provide the best service. Maybe more telling, 78 percent of cruisers use travel agents for all types of travel planning, as compared to 44 percent of non-cruise vacationers. as much of an impact as we thought,” said Art Pfenning, vice president of Travel and Transport (TNS), which conducted the study in tandem with CLIA. “Given the current economic climate, we are particularly pleased to see that American cruisers remain bullish on the industry,” Dale added. cruise vacations continue to appeal to younger travelers; travelers most frequently name the Caribbean as their cruise destination of choice (43 percent) with Alaska, the Bahamas, Hawaii, Europe and the Mediterranean/Greek islands also top choices; and 80 percent of cruise vacationers agree that a cruise is a great way to Crunching the Numbers “This fact is not lost on CLIA’s nearly 16,000 travel agency members who continue to be the industry’s invaluable distribution system and consumers’ most reliable source of assistance and service in planning and booking vacations,” said Terry Dale, president and CEO of CLIA. In 2007, 9.57 million Americans took a cruise vacation, representing 76 percent of the total 12.56 million passengers carried on CLIA member lines, the survey says. This year’s study also concluded that almost 34 million Americans intended to cruise within the next three years. “Perhaps the economy isn’t having 54 | TravelAgent July 7, 2008 “ ” “Given the current economic climate, we are particularly pleased to see that American cruisers remain bullish on the industry. —TERRY DALE, CLIA Other findings of note: The general profile of the 2008 cruise vacationer is upscale (with a median household income of $93,000) and educated (69 percent have a college degree); the median age of cruisers is now 46 years old, down from 49 in 2006, which shows that sample destinations that they may wish to visit on a future land-based vacation. Not surprisingly, travel agents remain the top selling arm of the cruise industry, with 74 percent of cruisers saying they use agents to ” CONTINUED ON PAGE 56

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - July 7, 2008

Travel Agent - July 7, 2008 Online Now Contents Contributors From the Editor Europe: History and a Scenic Landscape Define Normandy Pacific/Asia: Kuala Lumpur Offers Luxury Shopping and Hotels Hawaii: Honolulu’s Nightlife is as Dazzling as its Sunshine Canada: VIA Rail Offers a New Way to Enjoy the Great North Las Vegas: Hotels and Casinos Away From the Strip Florida: Hilton Daytona Beach Offers Budget-Friendly Packages Central & South America: Panama is Poised to Become a Hot Destination Mexico: The ME Cancún Targets an Upscale Clientele Caribbean: Maxim Opens a New Resort in Puerto Plata The Latest News and Notes from Dominica Cruises: A CLIA Study Offers Good News About Cruising Cartagena and Santa Marta Offer Two Different Sides of Columbia Cover Story: Wendy Goodenow Industry In Crisis: A New Report Offers a Gloomy Forecast for the Airline Industry Hotels: Prince Edward Island Celebrates Anne of Green Gables EZGuider: Vacation.com Launches a New Platform Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Opinion Consortia Can Be An Agent’s Best Friend MLT Expands Roles and Offerings Malaysia Continues Agent Push In the Spotlight Agent Access Classified Marketplace Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - July 7, 2008

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