The number of UK holidaymakers taking an ocean cruise crashed through the million mark back in 2004 and shows no sign of slowing.
The Passenger Shipping Association expects that number to hit 1.5 million by 2008, and with 85% of cruise bookings made through agents, there can be few more lucrative sectors.
As ships continue to launch and product evolve, it is vital that travel professionals and suppliers stay up to date with the latest news and views. This is why Travel Weekly is delighted to announce the launch of TW Cruise, our cruise brand that will do all the hard work for you.
Travel Weekly and its sister brands in the TWGroup provide a range of cruise information and services – together they represent a unique and powerful resource for those using cruise to build their business.
In addition to these print and online resources and events, Travel Weekly is pleased to announce some new initiatives.
These include:
- TW Cruise, a dedicated magazine which will feature market updates, destination reviews, ship launches and practical articles on how agents can boost their cruise sales.
- Cruise Club – launched last week, Cruise Club is an industry-backed initiative which will track five travel providers over the year as they work to significantly increase their cruise business.
Following last year’s success, September will again be cruise month at Travel Weekly with dedicated articles plus five roadshows and two round-table discussions.
This mix of information will be a powerful tool for travel professionals and we hope that over the coming year you will look to Travel Weekly for the very latest cruise information – be it online, in print or at events.
In 2007, TW Cruise will provide:
Daily news: Travel Weekly’s website provides daily cruise news direct to your desktop via our RSS feeds. And to search all our cruise news simply visit travelweekly.co.uk/cruiseTW Cruise magazine: Dedicated to the cruise market, Travel Weekly will be launching its first issue of TW Cruise on February 23. The magazine will be distributed with Travel Weekly on February 23, May 25, July 27, September 28 and November 30. Contact: emily.bamber@rbi.co.uk
Search2cruise.com: In May we will relaunch our dedicated website search2cruise.com with a new name – twcruise.com. It provides information on more than 200 cruise ships operated by 55 cruiselines and enables visitors to search by ship name, cruise area or cruiseline. The site also features individual ship profiles.
Travel Weekly blog: Read our cruise industry bloggers and add your comments or start a debate at travelweekly.co.uk/discussionforums
Travel Weekly Cruise Club: Follow our five agents through the year as they build cruise sales. Travel Weekly will also provide more in-depth news and views each week on its specialist cruise news pages. Contact lee.hayhurst@rbi.co.uk
In depth: Our departures section will focus on cruise on March 16, September 7 and September 14. Contact emily.ashwell@rbi.co.uk
Cruise month: Dedicated editorial will appear in Travel Weekly during September. Contact lee.hayhurst@rbi.co.uk
Travel Weekly Cruise Roadshows: Travel Weekly goes out across the UK to meet agents in September. Contact penny.akam@rbi.co.uk
Commercial opportunities: TW Cruise will deliver a range of content across a variety of channels. For advertising enquiries e-mail richard.b.johnson@rbi.co.uk or call 020 8652 8218.