CRUISE is one of the fastest growing segments for the Virtuoso network in Australia, with the luxury-focused organisation recording a 31% increase in local cruise bookings this year.
The figures were revealed this morning in Sydney by Virtuoso ceo Matthew Upchurch, who is in Australia this week for the annual Virtuoso Cruise Show, which has seen 350 travel advisers interact with 18 key suppliers in Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast.
Upchurch said the boom was in part a reflection of the strong focus by upmarket cruise lines on the Australian market, with suppliers such as Silversea, Crystal, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Oceania and more setting up direct offices down under.
Asia Pacific Virtuoso md Michael Londregan was very upbeat about the potential for cruise, saying a similar exceptionally strong level of growth is expected in 2018.
Virtuoso overall is a very strong producer of sales for the cruise lines, and has negotiated a range of exclusive value adds which have proven very popular.
Upchurch said another key success had been the opportunity for Virtuoso to share group allocations across its membership, with agents able to sell into combined blocks with guaranteed host cabins because of their overall buying power.
He said Virtuoso agents had hosted departures on 100% of all upcoming Crystal departures and 70% of Seabourn voyages.
Upchurch and Londregan are pictured above in Sydney today.
