Jamie Biesiada
Proof has continued to mount lately that consumers are increasingly using travel advisors. And what higher product to make use of an advisor for than a cruise?
With a steadily rising variety of cruise strains and ships, with completely different add-ons, packages and stateroom classes, the choices for cruisers are seemingly infinite.
Related: Travelers are turning to travel advisors, survey from ASTA and Sandals reveals
Certainly, Allianz Companions not too long ago discovered proof that cruising is among the high causes customers use advisors.
This summer season, Allianz surveyed a random pattern of 1,388 prospects who purchased insurance coverage by way of an advisor or retail distribution companion between final fall and this spring, with journey ending by Might 2022.
The survey discovered that 27% of the insurance coverage consumers used a journey advisor to e book a cruise. That determine was simply 1 proportion level behind the highest purpose respondents used an agent: reserving air journey (28%).
Twenty p.c of respondents used an advisor to e book lodging, 16% for a tour reserving, 3% for a rental automobile and 6% reported utilizing an advisor for different travel-related bookings.
Almost definitely to make use of advisors to e book cruises have been these ages 55-84. In complete, about one-third of these prospects mentioned they used an advisor for a cruise reserving.
Here is an space the place some inroads might be made by a motivated advisor: Solely 14% of respondents ages 35 to 44 used a journey advisor to e book a cruise.
And that crowd is cruising. In line with CLIA’s 2021 North America Market Report, almost half of all cruisers are underneath 49 years outdated (15% are within the 40-to-49-year-old age bracket, in order that’s not precisely an apples-to-apples comparability to Allianz’s knowledge, nevertheless it’s shut sufficient for example the purpose).
Vacationers are additionally happy with the insurance coverage they’ve bought, in accordance with Allianz, with 91% reporting they’d be “extraordinarily” to “considerably seemingly” to buy it once more for his or her subsequent journey.
It is one other good case about promoting insurance coverage.
A fast aspect be aware: 28% of respondents reported utilizing advisors to purchase air. That is a giant quantity, and I do know there are nonetheless advisors on the market who’re reluctant to e book air, or who e book it however have questions on it.
I am the co-host of the Trade Secrets podcast, a Q&A mode podcast the place journey advisors name in with questions; my co-host, TravelAge West’s Emma Weissmann, and I invite trade specialists on the present to reply these questions. We now have an upcoming episode devoted solely to promoting air. When you’re within the topic, tune in wherever you take heed to podcasts when it goes stay subsequent Monday, Nov. 14.
