Recession? What recession? Proving that there is vast opportunity for travel industry growth despite current economic challenges, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. today announced a record-setting day in the companies’ storied history. Together as part of World Travel Holdings (WTH) and with more than 1,000 Franchise Owners and Independent Agents, the companies comprise the nation’s leading retailer of cruise travel.
Yesterday, June 9, 2009, was a record-setting day for CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. The companies cite the launch of several exclusive sales and offers as the reason for the day’s surging numbers. The exponential increases were noted in three areas – calls, online leads and bookings.
o Calls – 41% increase in call volume versus previous exclusive sale record
o Online Leads – 39% increase in online leads versus same day last year
o Bookings (Sales) – 65% increase in bookings versus same day last year
“CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. are fortunate to be part of World Travel Holdings, because that relationship affords our Franchise Owners and Agents access to cruise line pricing and offers that cannot be found elsewhere,” said Dwain Wall, Senior Vice President and General Manager of CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. “This week’s special offers – exclusive promotions negotiated for us by WTH – are prime examples of the unique opportunities our cruise line relationships and buying power give agents who are part of our family.”
Contributing factors to yesterday’s record day include an integrated pre-marketing and training program to prepare Franchise Owners and Agents in advance of the consumer rollout of the exclusive sales. The agent campaign, a joint effort by the companies’ marketing, training and business development teams, included educational e-mails, “voice shot” agent calls, promotional materials posted on the companies’ proprietary intranet, creatively communicated sales tips and more. The consumer campaign included a variety of creative e-mails and the use of other online marketing tools.
“Yesterday’s incredible numbers are in part because of the unique offers we’ve negotiated but also because of the advance preparation of our corporate headquarters team,” said Steven Hattem, Vice President of Marketing for CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. “As a company, we make every imaginable investment to ensure the success of our Franchise Owners and Agents. The advance marketing and training that went into this week’s exclusive sales are what has made them such a resounding success.”
