MSC unveils new ‘Serving You’ agent initiative

MSC Cruises has launched a new initiative to change the way it works with travel agents in the UK, including a new sales platform.

The ‘Serving You’ scheme will introduce new trade-friendly measures aimed to increase awareness of the brand and make it easier to sell, including doubling its sales team in the UK & Ireland for 2015 with 20 people on the road to support agents and key campaigns.

A new ‘MSC Book’ sales platform for agents has been launched that also acts as a resource centre, while a new online training programme MSC Expert has been unveiled and a better telephone system in place to reduce waiting times.

The cruise line will share booking and sales data with key agents to help boost sales, and will tailor its commission and marketing funds to different business models. The line will also allow commission to be earned on excursions and will introduce a dynamic packaging flight system using GDS airlines.

Other initiatives include clearer promotional campaigns with better deals for early bookers and new group and net-rates.

“We have made no secret of our desire to become a significant player in the UK cruise market – ‘Serving You’ signals our intent to make the trade our top priority. Our aim is to reach 200,000 UK passengers by 2017 – more than trebling our current level of business. We can only do that by engaging with agents and putting them at the heart of what we do,” said MSC’s executive director UK & Ireland Giles Hawkes. “Our ‘Serving You’ programme represents a huge investment. The focus is on developing stronger and deeper ties with the trade, and we have looked at every area of our business to do this.”

Details of the scheme were unveiled at the inaugural meeting of MSC’s new Travel Agent Advisory Board, following informal meetings earlier this year. The board will meet four times a year to discuss further opportunities.