Clia currently has more trade members than it did prior to the pandemic despite concerns from a leading cruise line executive over how many agents have left the travel industry.
Ben Bouldin, Royal Caribbean International vice-president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Clia chair, recently said the number of agents today was “a fraction” of what it was pre-pandemic.
However, Clia UK & Ireland managing director Andy Harmer painted a different picture in terms of Clia’s agent members, which he called “a good barometer”.
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He said: “Our numbers were flat during 2020 and 2021 but this year we’ve seen a real increase in membership, particularly from travel agents we may not have engaged with in the past. Cruise is a huge opportunity.
“From a Clia membership perspective our numbers are higher now than they were in 2019.”
Harmer (pictured) reported Clia currently had around 4,000 travel agency members and the number of active agent members stood at 6,495.
In early 2020, Clia had 3,853 agency members and 5,027 individual agent members.
Bouldin said the industry is “always looking for new partners, new distribution and new people to bring with us”.
He added: “The more people promoting cruise and experiencing a cruise holiday the better place the industry is.”
Asked how the trade association had adapted during the pandemic, Harmer explained Clia had “almost needed to reset”.
“We needed to acknowledge the landscape was different, the consumers were different and were buying in different ways,” he said.
“From the start of this year we’ve regrouped and focused on the things that we have done well but also looking at other ways we can support the trade.
“That is not just our new events such as our residential event but new resources as well.”
He highlighted Clia’s ‘cruise daily’ page featuring news on its website and destination guides issued by the body.
“We have seen a fundamental shift in the way that cruise lines and agents work together,” he said.