Cruise agents who have demonstrated innovation, expertise and have contributed to the success of cruising were honoured at this week’s CLIA UK & Ireland Cruise Excellence Awards 2015.
Held on board Cruise & Maritime’s Magellan in Tilbury, the awards recognised those who have demonstrated “exceptional knowledge, leadership and inspiration”, according to CLIA.
The Rising Star award was presented to FlexiCruise which demonstrated “continued growth through product development and great customer engagement”.
The Innovation in Cruise award was presented to Jetline Cruise “which has shown innovative packaging while moving to a more engaging cruise proposition for customers”.
The Online Travel Agency of the Year award was presented for the fourth year running to IGLU Cruise and reflected the company’s “continued evolution of the online offering and customer experience. IGLU Cruise fully utilises all aspects of ecommerce while increasingly introducing tailor-made products”.
High Street Travel Agency of the Year went, for the second year running, to Trailfinders. “The company demonstrated a focus on training and continued growth in cruise holidays while ensuring an exceptional customer experience,” CLIA said.
Travel Agent Business of the Year was awarded to World Travel Holdings (Cruise 118) which “demonstrated a strong investment in training, an enthusiasm for personal development and for supporting CLIA events. This investment has been rewarded in positive customer engagement”.
CLIA introduced two new awards for 2015 – the Cruise Expert of the Year award was presented to Sarah Bolton from Travel Counsellors. Sarah demonstrated a positive attitude in going above and beyond expectations and showing a desire to continually increase her cruise knowledge.
The Cruise Advocate Award was presented to Alison Earnshaw from World Travel Holdings (Cruise 118) for her drive, commitment, dedication and professional development.
The CLIA UK & Ireland Award for Outstanding Contribution to the UK & Ireland Cruise Community was presented to David Dingle, Kathryn Beadle and Trevor Dupont for their significant contribution to the success of UK cruising. Kathryn and Trevor have committed themselves to working tirelessly with the travel trade, encouraging greater engagement to the benefit of the industry. David received the award for his exceptional contribution to the cruise industry over more than 30 years. He is a tireless campaigner and his knowledge of cruise is second to none. He has proved to be a driving force in raising the profile of cruising now making it a mainstream holiday choice. All three recipients have shown themselves as true ambassadors for cruising.
CLIA UK & Ireland director Andy Harmer said: ‘I’m delighted we have been able to recognise some truly outstanding people and companies who have gone over and above expectations in promoting and selling cruise holidays.’
Comments are closed.