The Travel Franchise proves its agents are best placed to  take advantage of lucrative cruise market

IN JANUARY 2024, The Travel Franchise saw its agents book 25% more cruise holidays than in the same period the year prior, with revenue sky rocketing by 64%. 

Some agents reported that a third of their bookings in January could be attributed to cruise sales alone, with one franchisee securing a single booking worth over £83,000 and another over £150,000. 

The jump in sales has been attributed to the hugely successful roll out of the company’s dedicated Cruise Division just over a year ago. 

“We are delighted to see these January figures. It demonstrates that all our investment is paying off and that our agents are now in pole position to take full advantage of some of the biggest commissions in travel,” said The Travel Franchise co-founder Paul Harrison. “We don’t know of any other travel company who has made such a big commitment – and is getting such big returns as a result.”

According to the Cruise Lines International Association, about 35.7 million passengers are expected to cruise in 2024 – that’s a 13% increase on the 31.5 million passengers in 2023. And with over 17 new ships launching this year, the growth in the cruising markets is forecast to continue. 

“We want our agents to be at the forefront of this growth. We are fast gaining a reputation for being the best in the business for teaching franchisees how to become cruise experts.”

Since the launch of its Cruise Division, hundreds of agents have joined its optional Cruise Mastery Programme – a structured 12-month training programme enabling agents to master the art of selling lucrative cruises and crucially get support from the company’s expert team of cruise business development managers many of which have years of experience booking cruises. 

The investment also saw the development of a dedicated cruise website, which simplifies the entire booking process for agents. With hundreds of cruise ships to choose from, alongside thousands of itineraries and countless cabin configurations, the cruise sector is notoriously complicated.  

Harrison agrees: “Booking a cruise can be a minefield. Despite the healthy commissions to be made in this sector, we’d noticed that in the past many of our agents shied away from it. We addressed this head on. 

“So we removed all the hurdles for our agents with our new website, making the decision process easier, quicker and more streamlined. This, alongside our dedicated training and opportunities to experience cruising for themselves has meant our agents have really mastered the art of selling a cruise holiday.”

In the past 18 months, The Travel Franchise has taken around 400 agents away on a cruise. In the coming year, the company has teamed up with Princess Cruises and Virgin Voyages in order to host even more ‘Seminar at Sea’ training experiences. 

“Franchisees will be able to experience a cruise and learn how to sell it at the same time as our cruise gurus will be on board giving them training and advice. It’s a priceless opportunity for everyone and I would urge anyone looking to launch their own travel business to jump on board with us and take advantage of our training and on going support.”

For more information get in touch and you can find details of travel franchise packages from just £2,995 +vat plus more about the 5-day virtual training courses that help people switch careers and launch a travel business from home.