Barrhead Travel has seen a £10 million rise in the value of its cruise bookings.
The Scottish-headquartered independent agency said river cruise bookings were up 30% while luxury cruise business grew by 11%.
Popular cruising destinations and itineraries among Barrhead Travel clients for 2018 sailings include Japan, Australia, Caribbean, South America and Cuba – as well as the more traditional Mediterranean itineraries.
The release of the growth figures follows the recent announcement a new charter flight from Glasgow to to Genoa on a British Airways aircraft to tie in with an MSC Cruises sailing.
Barrhead sys investment in its cruise search technology online as well as the launch of river cruise net rates in 2017 were “crucial” to the travel group’s continued growth in the cruise sector.
Cruise director Catriona Parsons said: “As the cruise industry continues to innovate, more and more of our customers are choosing to take to the seas to explore new destinations and enjoy unique on-board experiences.
“Since the introduction of our net rates for river cruise, we have been able to offer options with better flexibility and added value for our customers. With our river cruise division accelerating, we will consider adding charter flights exclusively for river cruise departures to complement our current charter offering. It’s a really exciting time to be in the cruise business and we are looking forward to continued growth in 2018.”
Barrhead Travel’s charter flights operate from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Mediterranean destinations including Barcelona, Venice, Palma and Reus.