SAILING TO SUCCESS

CLIA reports that its 9th annual cruise3sixty conference in Vancouver was a great success. The event, held for the second time in Vancouver, attracted over 1,950 total delegates including 1,250 registered agents from North America plus international representation, including a contingent of 40 from Australia. “Taking Your Business to the Next Level,” was the theme of the conference and it was reinforced by a comprehensive series of educational seminars, three days of general sessions featuring industry leaders and special speakers, a two-day trade show with more than 250 exhibitors, 10 ships available for inspection and the CLIA Specialty Cruise Collection Showcase. Participants had an opportunity to choose from 20 CLIA professional development seminars, each of which earned them credits toward CLIA certification. Christine Duffy, CLIA’s president and CEO, underscored the resiliency of the global cruise industry in her opening remarks, citing a 125% increase from 7.2 million passengers carried in 2000 to a projected 21 million passengers for 2013. According to Duffy, the trends driving that growth include global itineraries, exotic ports of call, big brand entertainment, and innovation in product and onboard technology. “No other segment of the travel industry demonstrates year in and year out that it understands and anticipates the consumer as well as the cruise industry,” Duffy said. Sail on over to http://www.cruising.org for more.