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Jennifer Halboth |
Agents and suppliers are cautiously reporting signs that challenges to the cruise industry have bottomed out and there is significant improvement in booking volumes, if not yet in pricing. Among these is Jennifer Halboth, director of marketing for Avalon Waterways, who sees solid evidence of a change for the better.
“For the last couple of months the signs have definitely been there,” she stated. “The pacing for booking volumes is above 2008 levels from the same time of year.” What she described as a “nice resurgence” allows the company to climb above flat growth, and the future looks quite positive in view of the number of travelers trying river cruises for the first time and their enthusiasm once they have been on board.
Halboth credits much stronger agent awareness of the product and the great deals available in bringing an influx of new passengers to the ships. “Agents are far more aware of river cruising than they were a couple of years ago,” she said. “They are encouraging their clients to try it, telling them that prices are going to go up and this is the time.”
Avalon has worked hard to up the number of agents on board, hosting consortia, inviting individual agents and arranging events to showcase their new ships, which have debuted at the rate of two a year and will reach 10 next year with the two launching in 2010.
“One of the aspects people need to see – and they can do it on our 360 degree online tours as well as in person – is the very modern look and feel of our ships,” Halboth added. “It distinguishes us from our competitors; it’s something we can hang our hat on, and it has a strong appeal to a younger demographic.”
She pointed out that the company’s new Taste of the Danube – three- or four-night cruises that really give a taste of the river and of Avalon’s cruises – is a perfect way for a new guest to try river cruising. “When they see how totally inclusive and seamless it is, how pleasurable and easy, they will come back,” Halboth added. She said agents are selling the shorter cruises as an extra land vacation and pre or post-oceangoing cruises in the place of land tours. Parent company Globus’ long experience in arranging shoreside penetration into local culture is another strong benefit for the line.
In addition, Avalon is selling river cruises year round. In Europe the Christmas markets carry the season to the end of the year, and only January and February are quiet months. But Avalon also offers cruises in Egypt and China during these months, so the sales continue on an ongoing basis.
“Egypt is still hot,” Halboth said, “and in exotic surroundings people love to explore, and they also love to come back to the creature comforts and beautiful environment of their floating home. That’s true in Egypt, on the Yangtze and in the Galapagos.”
www.avalonwaterways.com
