Crystal pledges to ‘tailor support’ for agents in first face-to-face trade panel

Crystal has pledged to “tailor support” for UK agents following the first face-to-face meeting of its trade engagement panel.

A group of six agents from Panache Cruises, Iglu Cruise, Six Star Cruises, Mundy Cruising, Touchdown Travel and Atlantis Travel met at the cruise line’s offices in central London to discuss how the luxury line can improve trade engagement and increase brand awareness.

Topics included simplifying promotions and pricing, boosting marketing support, and improving reporting on performance and incentive programmes.

Luke Smith, vice-president of trade sales for the UK and EMEA, said agents would be “critical” to the luxury line’s ambitious growth plans and its desire to be “the most trade-friendly ultra-luxury cruise line.”

Smith said: “We aim to have the best attitude to the trade where everything we implement and work on is agent-led and an improvement on what we were offering before.

“The ultimate goal is to go on a journey with our trade partners, and the first phase of our project together will be the next two years, culminating with the launch of Crystal Grace in 2028.

“I am confident that it will look very different [by then].”

Smith gave agents examples of initiatives the line has already launched during his first year in the role.

These include restructuring the trade team, making changes to the trade portal, and agreeing a partnership with Approach Guides to allow agents to white-label Crystal’s website with their own branding.

The line has also increased trade engagement on social media and through events.

He discussed future ideas to “tailor support” for agents, including introducing an online training platform, a monthly webinar programme, an awards ceremony for top sellers, an updated image and video library, an enhanced groups policy, “an immersion day” for trade marketers, tailored commercials and market-specific campaigns.

Smith committed to broadening the line’s distribution and making the brand more “visible” at trade events.