Seatrade Cruise News is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Agent tools are available for CLIA's Plan a Cruise Month

Agent tools are available for CLIA's Plan a Cruise Month
Cruise Lines International Association is providing travel agents with tips, tools and techniques for the annual Plan a Cruise Month in October.

'Travel agents are vital to the continual success of the cruise industry and our direct link to prospective cruisers. We want our entire travel agent community engaged with Plan a Cruise Month and have created tools to make it as easy as possible,' said Lorri Christou, svp strategic marketing and communications, CLIA.

New this year, CLIA is rewarding agents who customize and leverage Plan a Cruise Month in creative ways on social media, specifically Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Throughout October, CLIA will surprise and reward agents on social media with prizes and acknowledgements.

An agent toolkit is available to CLIA Travel Agency and Agent Members at www.cruising.org/PACMToolkit and includes branded campaign merchandise order information, a customizable news release agents can send to local media and customizable posts to use on Facebook and Twitter.

Other toolkit contents include a customizable email template to send to clients and prospects, cruise deals and promotions from CLIA cruise lines and logos and visuals for the campaign.

A Twitter event using hastag #CruiseMonth is planned for Sept. 28 from noon to 2 p.m. EDT. This offers agents the opportunity to tweet along with CLIA and chances to win prizes such as inaugural cruises and gift cards. More information is at www.cruising.org/myclia/my-marketing/plan-a-cruise-month-toolkit/how-to-twitter-chat.

Deals and promotions during Plan a Cruise Month range from free upgrades to reduced fares. Beginning Sept. 27, agents can access the deals and promotions by logging in to MyCLIA at https://cruising.org/login. Consumers will be encouraged to book by connecting with a CLIA cruise specialist travel agent at http://cruising.org/cruise-vacationer/cruise-travel-guide/clia-agent-finder.