By
Rebecca Gibson |
Mediterranean ports association MedCruise has joined with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Europe to sponsor and support a training programme for European travel agents.
As part of the agreement, CLIA Europe will expand ETALP, its online travel agent training programme, to France. It is expected to be expanded to other European countries in the future.
“The travel agent community play and will continue to play an essential role in the cruise industry’s supply chain, bringing our fantastic product closer to the end customer,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, CLIA Europe’s chairman. “We see agents as a vital link between travellers and cruise lines because they are our leading advocates when it comes to communicating the thrill of a cruise vacation.”
Noting that the agreement marks an ‘important milestone’ in the relationships between MedCruise and CLIA Europe, Carla Salvadό, president of MedCruise, said: “I am delighted that our associations will collaborate in training travel agents and giving them the right tools to attract even more people to cruising in the Med and beyond. The partnership shows that in the port community and the cruise industry we never lose sight of the fact that our success is directly tied to the travel agent community.”