CLIA Makes A “Total Commitment”

In this week’s Canadian Travel Press, Montreal editor, Mike Dunbar reports that the global trade association of the cruise industry is not just paying lip service to the travel agency sector — it is taking bold steps to cement the relationship between the travel trade and its member lines, reports .

As a key element in its intensified focus on the retail distribution channel, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has just appointed its first senior VP overseeing agency and trade relations.

And Dwayne Wall, the newly-minted exec, says his boss, CLIA president Christine Duffy, has given him a clear mandate. “She wants travel agents to feel the love from CLIA,” he stated.

In announcing Wall’s appointment, Duffy said: “By creating a dedicated trade relations position, CLIA is once again reinforcing its total commitment to our travel agency partners — a sustained partnership of almost 40 years.”

“My job is solely focused on agents and I see myself as an advocate for the retail community,” explained Wall, an industry veteran who, most recently, served as senior VP and GM of World Travel Holdings’ home-based division, comprised of the CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. brands.

He told CTP, “It has been proven over and over that travel agents represent not just a valuable but a necessary channel, regardless of how companies try to find alternatives.”

For the full story — plus a 6-page section on Cruising — click here.