Independent travel agency Henbury Travel is to run a bespoke joint billboard marketing campaign with P&O Cruises.
The billboard promotion will be seen by thousands of car drivers on one of the main arterial roads into Macclesfield, where the agency is based, during the busy Christmas period in the run-up to the trade’s peak sales period in January 2023.
The billboard will be place for four weeks from December 5, focusing on cruise holidays on P&O’s new ship, Arvia, and promoting bookings through Henbury Travel.
Arvia joins the P&O Cruises’ fleet in December. It includes a high-ropes course, swim-up bar, retractable SkyDome roof and 12 restaurants on board.
Its maiden voyage will be to the Canary Islands, followed by a winter season in the Caribbean.
Henbury Travel owner Richard Slater said: “The campaign will most certainly drive more people into our shop. There will be lots of people getting ready to book a holiday at that time.”
The agency has successfully run a billboard campaign in the past with Jet2holidays and is planning a similar campaign with Titan Travel, while also approaching several tourist boards and hotels about joint marketing opportunities.
Slater said it had taken time to secure the campaign with P&O Cruises, adding: “I think they have woken up to the fact that smaller agencies can generate big revenues.”
P&O Cruises director of sales Ruth Venn said: “We’re delighted to be taking part in a proven and successful marketing billboard campaign with Richard and Henbury Travel.
“We’re always keen to explore ways we can work with travel agents to attract new guests to book a P&O Cruises holiday and would encourage them to visit the Shine Rewards Club to take advantage of the many promotional tools available such as P&O Cruises’ top offers, campaign details, window card templates and social media assets.”