Marriott
International and CLIA have partnered, enabling CLIA-certified
agents to earn commissions on room bookings, as the world’s largest hotel
company looks to get more agent-friendly ahead of its planned acquisition of
Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
Additionally, CLIA agents can access discounted rates once they
complete the Marriott Hotel Excellence training program.
Starwood, which Marriott is under contract to acquire this year, pays
commissions to CLIA agents, as does Hilton Worldwide and Hyatt Hotels.
Founded in 1975, CLIA is the
world’s largest cruise industry trade association. The group includes 20,000
travel agencies and 30,000 travel-agent members worldwide, as well as 62 member
cruise lines that collectively account for more than 95% of global cruise
capacity.