Last Sunday [10 September 2023], 165 new Travel Associates clients boarded The Jackson Superyacht in Sydney to learn about Travel Associates’ cruise partners and its cruise expertise over a luxurious lunch. The new platform to reach potential future cruisers was flagged exclusively by LATTE in June.
The Sydney cruise followed a successful first event for Travel Associates which took place in Melbourne at Leonda by the Yarra on 1 September, with an additional three sold-out events upcoming in Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Brisbane over the next month. An expected 670 new-to-brand clients will be in attendance across all five events.
Hosted by Rachel Kingswell, GM Travel Associates and emceed by Anna Burgdorf, Global Brand and Marketing Director, the Sydney event served as an opportunity for guests to meet with Travel Associates’ cruise partners including Silversea, Explora Journeys, Scenic, Uniworld, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Avalon Waterways and Tauck, as well as Travel Associates’ expert cruise advisors.
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Guests were briefed on current trends in the cruise market, including small-ship experiences and why luxury brands are investing in expedition product, back-to-back cruising, sustainability, and the shift away from big-ship cruising, particularly in the Mediterranean and Alaska.
According to Kingswell, the brand’s expert cruise advisors had identified several clear trends among the luxury cruising clientele, with the concept of ‘escaping the everyday’ and making room for travel to destinations that allowed clients to really switch off from business and the workplace.
“Similar to the trend of bringing forward Bucket List travel, this form of ‘getting away from it all’ cruise experience is a direct result of our newfound understanding of the importance of time, and how we use it to nurture our own personal wellbeing and for family development.
“We are seeing multi-generational travel and family holidays that bring people closer together by consciously getting away from it all.
“In combination with small-ship cruising and expedition trends, the current desire of clients to select the right itinerary for their needs is driving the trend.”
Guests onboard also had the chance to speak one-on-one with Travel Associates expert advisors and were given access to exclusive cruise offers.
All events will follow the same format as in Sydney. Cruise brand representatives in attendance included:
› Steve Richards, Silversea
› Gillian Seller, Explora Journeys
› Cathy Page, Scenic
› Alice Ager, Uniworld
› Ryan MacPherson, Oceania Cruises
› Scott Graham, Regent Seven Seas Cruises
› Matthew Beggs, Avalon Waterways
› David Clark, Tauck
Other sold out Travel Associates Luxury Cruise Luncheons will be held in Adelaide, Brisbane (22 September) and the Gold Coast (6 October).
