WASHINGTON, D.C. — Cruise Lines International Association has opened enrollment for its 2018 Travel Agency Membership and Individual Agent Membership (IAM) programs.
Last year CLIA saw an increase of 294% in agent enrollment in its certification programs.
“Travel professionals are the cruise industry’s leading distribution channel, and statistics show that agents who are certified, earn more than those that are not,” says Cindy D’Aoust, President and CEO, CLIA. “In 2018, we’ll continue to expand our extensive list of benefits with agent educational tools regarding health, safety, security and the work being done to protect our environment, providing our members with the resources they need to respond to clients’ requests.”
Individual Agent Membership is open to travel agents associated with a 2018 CLIA Travel Agency Member.
Additional CLIA member benefits include:
- Professional Development: CLIA says its professional development and training programs leverage expert knowledge and partnerships to deliver valuable education to travel agents and other industry professionals. “Our programs are available in a variety of formats to make it convenient for you to keep your skills polished or become certified through CLIA’s members-only certification programs.”
- Commissions and Travel Perks: Bonus commissions and personal travel discounts from cruise lines and partners. Revamped in 2016, 96% of cruise line offers submitted were paid, according to CLIA.
- 2018 CLIA EMBARC ID: All Individual Agent Members receive the CLIA EMBARC ID, the official credential of the global cruise industry. EMBARC ID entitles agents to preferred member pricing for Cruise360 and other events, as well as access to CLIA member benefits, including cruise line and partner commissions.
- Cruise Finder: Exclusively for CLIA members, Cruise Finder provides ship information, itineraries, onboard offerings and more across global cruise lines.
Agent Finder: Agents listed on CLIA’s online Agent Finder can promote themselves to consumers looking for knowledgeable and reliable cruise-focused travel professionals, says CLIA. Individual Agent Membership includes a complimentary listing beneath the agency’s listing. Agents can boost their profile further by purchasing an additional stand-alone listing for US$19.95 for the full membership year.
- Cruise TV: Engaging and informative videos agents can share directly with their clients, through social media or email.
- Plan a Cruise Month: Members-only resources and promotions that help agents make the most of CLIA’s annual consumer-based Plan a Cruise Month.
- Exclusive Members-Only Discounts: Discounted pricing on CLIA and Executive Partner products, including CLIA courses and event registrations.
- Connect with Key Cruise Line, Destination and Industry Representatives: CLIA events, including Cruise360, the largest and only official conference of the cruise industry, offer an opportunity to network with others in the industry alongside a week’s worth of professional development, ship inspections and the latest industry trends.
- Relevant and Timely Information: CLIA’s monthly Travel Agent Cruise News plus regular CLIA emails with members-only news alerts and professional development opportunities.
To learn more about CLIA Travel Agency and Individual Agent Membership, visit cruising.org/joinclia.
