Group bookings are the fastest growing sector for GFOB’s Avalon Waterways— and there’s real potential to develop the group market further, says GFOB head of commercial Australasia Brett Simon.
To that end the company will carry the risk and support agents looking to hold a group booking as they build their river cruise business. While selling group travel used to be quite an art, with GFOB’s framework and agent tools in place Simon says ‘now you’ve just got to find the right people’.
“I don’t even think you could count on one hand across Australia and New Zealand the number of times an agent has had to hand back [the cabins].” Simon also says the company will work with agents to sell their group.
A gents need eight people to make a group booking and Simon says its ‘extremely profitable’ for the agents—noting that it’s the agents who escort the bookings that really maximise the opportunity.
But Simon says agents sailing with clients develop a closer relationship with them plus there’s a high chance they’ll rebook on a future cruise. “We’re here to step agents through the process and help make it a success,” he adds. See the Avalon agent portal for details.
