Uniworld boss: 'Serve your river customers something unique'
Tom ParryUniworld president Ellen Bettridge has urged agents striving to sell more river cruises to “serve up something unique” and “encourage customers to dream”.
Speaking at Clia’s RiverView conference in Budapest on Sunday (20 March), Bettridge revealed a new 43-day itinerary across four countries, sailing onboard three ships and visiting the Nile, Ganges and Mekong.
The trip – which departs in January 2023 and has been dubbed by the line as the “World’s Most Exotic River and Land Journey” – will be exclusively sold to British customers.
The UK, Bettridge told Clia delegates, was now Uniworld’s second best-performing market.
During her keynote address, Bettridge advised agents on the benefits and opportunities of boosting their river business – citing “huge demand” from new-to-brand clients, accounting for 63% of guests booked in 2022.
She offered a number of tips, from improving social media to not being afraid of marketing expensive itineraries.
“Serve up the unexpected – you know what your customers could want. Serve up plenty of options and don’t worry about the price point, it’s not your wallet,” she said.
Bettridge also urged agents to “up your social game”.
“They [customers] have got to hear it from you to be inspired to travel. Video content is absolutely critical but it doesn’t have to be perfect – if anything, it’s more authentic if it isn’t.
“Post frequently – before, during and after your trip and post real photos, people want to see real people doing real things.”
Highlighting how consumers were keen to invest more in their post-pandemic travels, Bettridge explained how Uniworld’s first “mystery cruise” departure in June had sold out in four hours at a selling price 40% higher than the line’s average.
Around 170 customers had also each paid $500 to be put on a waitlisting for the next cruise – with Uniworld launching two additional sailings due to demand.
“People want to spend more than they ever have – take advantage of it and encourage your customers to dream. They’ve been at home for two years – they’ve saved their money and they’re ready to go,” she said.
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