As part of its yearlong “Why Use a Travel Advisor” (WUATA) campaign, Carnival Cruise Line has launched the “Most Trusted Travel Advisor” contest. Now clients can brag about their favorite travel advisor by submitting a short story on why theirs is the best.
“This is a way for clients to nominate their travel agents and talk about why they think they’re the most trusted travel advisor or why they rock,” said Adolfo Perez, senior vice president of sales and trade marketing for Carnival Cruise Line. “We’re hoping that between now and the end of October, we will receive a lot of entries so we can share these stories.”
Clients can enter the contest now through Oct. 29. Perez explained that the top three finalists will be flown to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for Northstar Travel Group’s CruiseWorld conference, where the winner will be announced on Nov. 13, 2019. (Note: Northstar Travel Group is the parent company of TravelAge West.)
The two advisor runners-up will receive a cruise for two on Carnival’s upcoming new Mardi Gras ship with roundtrip airfare. The grand prize winner will get all of that, plus a Mardi Gras cruise for two and roundtrip flights for their client; the commission that they would have received had they sold the cruise; and $1,000 in spending money.
“We have some stories already because we’re going to be doing a presentation in Orlando for our first WUATA Party,” Perez said. “And these stories are really compelling. Some of them bring tears to your eyes, and some of them are funny.”
Clients can nominate an advisor by visiting and submitting their story at www.wuatacontest.com. Finalists will be selected by a committee of judges consisting of Carnival’s sales leadership team; Ann Chamberlin, senior vice president, membership and strategic partnerships for American Society of Travel Advisors; and Charles Sylvia, vice president, membership and trade relations, for Cruise Lines International Association.
“I think these stories are a great way to help agents get the word out that they’re not only valuable, but essential in planning a vacation the right way,” Perez said. “It’s really all about testimonials. What’s the best form of advertising? It’s word-of-mouth. So, we feel like this is a credible way to get the story out about travel agents’ value.”
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Carnival Cruise Line
www.carnival.com
