CLIA plans to partner more closely with travel advisors and trade associations to build a more collaborative cruise industry, the association's CEO said in an address at his first Cruise360 in the role.
Charles "Bud" Darr, onstage at CLIA's annual conference in April, emphasized the value travel advisors provide the industry and the need to sustain and reinforce their reach.
That same week, CLIA also announced its first campaign that will distribute assets directly to advisors to post on their own social media platforms, which the organization said is designed to open conversations with clients who love traveling but have never tried a cruise.
"I can tell you, on my watch at CLIA, the 67,000-plus of you that are members of our organization are going to get the kind of professional support that you need from us," Darr said during the event in Fort Lauderdale.
He called advisors "the No. 1 distribution channel for the cruise lines" and hinted that while AI is a factor in travel planning, he doesn't think it can compete with the personalized recommendations travel advisors offer.
"You've got to match up the customer and their needs with the right product that's out there, and to do that you have to understand both," Darr said. "I don't know that an algorithm could ever replace that. I don't think a user interface on a computer platform on its own can ever replace that."
Darr said that more collaborative relationships with trade associations will enhance unity in the industry. He mentioned ASTA, saying, "I really see a lot of potential synergy there," and said the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association is an organization "you will see us working much closer with, I promise you."
When asked about working with CLIA, ASTA CEO Zane Kerby said that he met with Darr shortly after he joined the organization.
"It was a productive conversation as we explored ways we could work together for the industry," Kerby said. "ASTA looks forward to future collaboration."
The 'Cruise Actually' campaign
CLIA's upcoming social media campaign, called "Cruise Actually," will provide advisors with ready-to-post memes and captions, said CLIA vice president of industry and trade relations Charles Sylvia in a follow-up interview after the event.
Though still in the design stage, the posts will tackle what CLIA considers common misconceptions about cruising -- and what it believes cruising is actually like.
CLIA sees high potential for growth in cruise bookings among avid land travelers who have yet to experience a cruise, Sylvia said.
"Usually, myths and misconceptions are held by people who have never set foot on a cruise ship," Sylvia said. "Once we get them to set foot on a cruise ship, then they see."
He suggested that now is a good time to launch a campaign like this because CLIA is seeing a lot of travel advisors newly entering the profession who should be prepared to dispel myths about cruising from the start.
The idea for "Cruise Actually" came to Sylvia on New Year's Eve when he was watching "Love Actually." But don't expect to see the film's iconic poster board cue cards, he said. Do, however, expect the campaign to encourage travelers to book cruises through travel advisors, he said.
"There are so many reasons why a consumer should use a travel advisor, but from my point of view, the most important one is FOMO," Sylvia said. "That travel advisor is going to make sure that the consumer does not miss out on anything."