A lack of confidence among agents selling add-on cruise excursions has been blamed for the collapse of specialist supplier Tripashore.
Tripashore was launched in November 2015 by former Carnival UK head of revenue management Lee Strongitharm, who promised to disrupt what was said to be a ‘cruise line monopoly’.
However, last week Strongitharm confirmed the business had ceased trading before Christmas after attempts to refinance it had failed.
The collapse leaves Cruising Excursions, established in 2011, as the sole UK-based trade provider.
Former Attraction World chief operating officer Tony Seaman, who was chief commercial officer at Tripashore for four weeks last autumn as well as an investor, said the concept was “clever” but it failed to drive volume.
“If you don’t fill the seats it starts costing you money and you get into this horrible vicious circle of having to make commercial decisions about whether to cancel tours,” he said.
Seaman, who was previously involved in an unsuccessful attempt to break into cruise excursions with Attraction World, also said Tripashore lacked investment.
Tripashore’s failure follows that of Shorex in 2012. The pre and post-cruise excursion specialist was set up by former Cadogan bosses Tom Allen and Doug Mathieson.
Cruise retailer Phil Nuttall, managing director of The Cruise Village, said agents lacked confidence booking a new product that they couldn’t control.
“In a very unstable financial environment it is a gamble for any business to come into this market with a model where you need agents to recommend you,” he said.
But Cruising Excursions chairman John Wimbleton said: “It’s all about scale and we have built that through relationships with every important cruise retailer.
“Last year we had a record year. Selling cruise excursions is a fantastic opportunity for agents and we continue to invest and grow.”