While popular tourist destinations have felt the effects of the economic crisis over the past few years, the river and sea cruise segment has proven to be one of the most stable. Why agencies should pay attention Andrey Mikhailovsky, General Director of the Infoflot Cruise Center, told the TRN portal that he was paying special attention to it:
"It's worth starting with the numbers. As noted by global experts, the cruise industry continues to move forward, winning more and more followers. According to current data, the number of cruise trips is steadily growing, and it is expected that in 2018, the cruise tourist flow in the world amounted to 27.2 million passengers. Since 2011, that is, over the past five years, the tourist flow has increased by 20.5 percent.
Russia is not lagging behind this trend. The Russian cruise market grows by 20–30% annually.
It is important that travel agents have noticeably stepped up their work in the cruise sector, which also allows us to expect a further increase in tourist flow in the segment.
So why is it profitable for travel agents to work with cruises?
1. Any cruise is a large complex of tourist services in one package, which is easy to sell. It includes accommodation in comfortable cabins, meals in a restaurant, entertainment on board, and in river cruises - also excursions. When buying these services separately, agency clients will cost more, and they will have to spend much more time organizing their vacation.
There are quite a few cruise tours on the market now - this is when the package includes a flight, transfers according to the program, meeting at the airport, an excursion program, and hotel accommodation before the cruise. This format also allows you to save money for your tourists and is convenient for organizing their vacation. "Infoflot" offers such products.
2. On average, the return in the cruise sector is more than 80%. This is a format of recreation that leaves no one indifferent. Having at least once got on a good cruise liner or motor ship, having passed an interesting route, a person becomes a fan of cruises, and comes for a new product to the seller who opened this type of travel for him.
3. Today, the bulk of cruise tourism is made up of people aged 35 and above, families with children, and young couples. This category is the main buyer of tourism services, i.e. the clients with whom agents usually work.
4. The variety of services will allow agencies to attract the attention of any tourist to cruises.
When launching a new sea liner, cruise companies try to surprise and attract new travelers with non-standard services and innovations.
Almost all sea ships have SPA centers, many restaurants where you can try cuisine from different countries of the world, swimming pools, including with sea water, cinemas, beauty salons, mini golf, fitness centers, children's clubs, discos and game rooms, theaters, karaoke centers, shopping galleries, night clubs and casinos. And this is not a complete list.
River cruises are distinguished by a less active atmosphere on board, but this is compensated by the educational nature of the land program and the intimacy. It is not for nothing that river cruises are called the best way to get to know a country from the inside. At the same time, river ships have many public spaces, spacious cabins, entertainment for adults and children, exciting master classes and fitness programs.
5. The commission for agencies in the cruise industry is higher than the average for the travel market and ranges from 10–15%.
6. In addition, we are ready to help agencies technologically and informationally, and on a free basis. For this purpose, the Infoflot Cruise Center continues to develop the information project for travel agents Riverlines.ru. Within its framework, we conduct free seminars, master classes, webinars and trainings: we teach how to navigate the cruise theme, work with a "non-cruise" tourist, and make good money selling cruises.
We are also planning to update the search module for partner agents with a lot of new and interesting features. Stay tuned for our announcements."
Source: trn-news.ru