I know you love yoga, and there’ll be morning yoga class and meditation. You’re going to enjoy a beautiful spa experience by Dr. You’ll have the opportunity for a guaranteed reservation at a Thomas Keller restaurant. Travel agent to luxury land client: “I’d like to introduce you to an experience that you’re going to love. He outlined an agent-client conversation that might go like this: “When you pique curiosity, then the opportunity to close the sale becomes a lot easier.” We need to help them grow, which means finding new-to-cruise.”Īustin recommends that agents “crack the door open” with non-cruising luxury clients by stimulating their interest before mentioning cruise. Trading their clients from one brand to our brand doesn’t really help them. “If we’re going to be great partners to travel professionals, we have to help them grow their business. “It will be the newest, most modern fleet in the luxury cruise market,” Austin said.Īustin sees it as Seabourn’s job to train travel professionals in how to sell luxury cruises to first-timers –– not just for the cruise line’s benefit, but for agents’ as well. The two new ships bring the cruise line’s fleet to five ships, nearly doubling Seabourn’s capacity in less than 18 months. In January, the company christened the newest member of its fleet, the 600-guest Seabourn Encore and next spring, a sister ship, the 600-guest Seabourn Ovation, will make her debut. “By 2022, there will be a 29 percent increase in luxury cruise, so we’ve got to attract new-to-cruise ,” Austin said. In a time of rapid expansion, growing the market for luxury cruises is critical. Now, Austin is looking to travel agents to help Seabourn drive business from luxury travelers who are non-cruisers, and he’s recommending a sales approach that he thinks will prove persuasive.Ĭhris Austin, senior vice president of global marketing and sales for Seabourn For Seabourn, travel professionals are critically important –– they’re driving significant business,” Austin told Travel Market Report. “Travel professionals have been at the heart of what I’ve focused on for years. It is all hospitality, travel and tourism.”Īustin, who is Seabourn’s senior vice president of global marketing and sales, says the move to cruise is also a continuation of his longtime work with travel agents. His reply? “I’m not, because what we have is basically a floating ultra-luxury hotel. When former Starwood Hotels executive Chris Austin left his 30-year career in hospitality last year to accept the senior sales post at Seabourn Cruise Line, some travel agents told him it was a shame he was leaving the hotel industry.
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