CALABASAS — AmaWaterways is extending its popular Tour Conductor (TC) credit promotion, giving travel advisors the chance to earn more on group bookings. 

With the limited-time offer, travel advisors booking groups of 10 or more guests can earn unlimited TCs on river cruise, airfare and pre- and post-cruise land packages. The offer applies to all new group contracts signed with deposits paid between Oct. 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023, for travel on select 2023 and 2024 Europe and Mekong River cruise dates.

“We are thrilled to see the strong rebound in travel, and we are experiencing an unprecedented demand for our innovative group offers,” said Kristin Karst, co-founder and executive vice president of AmaWaterways. “Travel advisors are extremely busy and by offering Tour Conductor credits on all three portions of their client’s river cruise vacation (airfare, land packages and river cruises), we’re making it easier and even more rewarding for them to trust us with all their group needs.”

With this extension, travel advisors have until March 31, 2023 to sign a group contract for select Europe and Mekong sailings, allowing them to earn one TC credit for every nine full-paying guests booked in each of the three trip components – river cruise, airfare and pre- and post-cruise land packages. TCs can then be applied to the tenth guest or group leader. The value of the TCs can be taken as a discount and shared across the group, or it can be earned as an additional travel advisor commission.

The average price paid on each of the three trip components – with the value of the airfare TC credit capped based on class of service – determines the net value of the TCs earned. TC credits earned from airfare and land packages will be awarded after the group is paid in full, no less than 90 days prior to departure.

Travel advisors can benefit from booking all types of groups – family reunions, special interest speculative groups or affinity groups – earning a generous commission when reserving all components (river cruise, land and air). An abundance of selected departure dates also offer ‘Enhanced Group Benefits’ with larger savings, and a choice of special onboard amenities for group members or a guaranteed FAM rate for travel advisors to accompany their group.

All AmaWaterways’ 2024 itineraries are now open for group and FIT reservations, including the newest ship, AmaLilia starting March 4, 2024 on the Nile; the early Feb. 11, 2024 season start of AmaMagna on the Danube and AmaLucia on the Rhine and the extended December festive sailing dates of AmaDouro in Portugal.

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AmaWaterways recently launched Course 3 of its popular AmaAcademy, an interactive online education platform that helps travel advisors learn about and sell luxury river cruise vacations. The newest course entitled ‘Group Business with AmaWaterway’ provides important product information about group policies and incentives, including a variety of group benefits, enhanced earning potential, the simple quoting and booking process and the limited time offer of Tour Conductor Credits on air and pre- and post-cruise land packages. 

Course 3 graduates who make a new reservation within 90 days of completing the course will receive a $50 reward gift card. New advisors to the AmaAcademy can earn $150 in reward gift cards by completing all three courses and making three reservations within 90 days. Registration for AmaAcademy is via Travel Advisor Portal found on www.AmaWaterways.ca.

“Group business is extremely important to AmaWaterways and we are excited to offer a new module as part of our AmaAcademy that focuses on providing travel advisors the information and tools they need to grow their business in this thriving segment,” said Alex Pinelo, senior vice president of sales. “Since the launch of AmaAcademy in 2019, we have had over 15,000 travel advisors complete Course 1 which not only provides them with important product knowledge to grow their business but also qualifies them for reduced FAM rates to experience for themselves our magnificent fleet of 26 ships.”

For more information go to AmaWaterways’ Travel Advisor Portal at https://www.amawaterways.com/agent-login.