Travel advisors are reinventing their function to fulfill the problem of cruising’s speedy evolution. From Muslim-themed cruises, AI employees coaching, to understanding the client higher, regional journey brokers shared their components for achievement at CruiseWorld Asia 2025, organised by Travel Weekly Asia:
The key takeaways:
Cornering the Muslim market by means of novelty
Suka Travel & Tours is drawing Muslim cruisers with the Dream KRUise Showcase, a themed crusing that includes Nineties Malaysian pop group KRU. Such novelty retains loyal clients engaged and provides them recent causes to cruise once more, in accordance with CEO Adam Karmal.
On eating wants, Karmal pressured a deeper understanding of Muslim journey wants. While the provision of halal meals is vital, cruise traces needn’t supply a totally halal-certified kitchen because the baseline. “What we really need is halal meat, pork-free options, and Muslim-friendly meals.”
He proposed “Muslim food corners” built-in into a number of eating places, fairly than limiting diners to a single halal outlet on longer cruises.
From Muslim-themed sailings to AI-powered employees coaching and deeper insights into buyer preferences, regional brokers revealed their successful methods at CruiseWorld Asia 2025, organised by Travel Weekly Asia.
Passion and coaching for achievement
Successful cruise promoting comes with having a ardour and data of the product. Vina Cuadra, supervisor – Tours Operation Management, Rakso Air Travel & Tours, stated, “My passion really comes alive when I’m able to meet clients’ dream destination with a perfect cruise or tour, knowing that I was able to be part of it.” She was among the many pioneers of Rakso’s cruise division in 2017.
Varun Chadha, CEO of TIRUN Travel Marketing, pressured that confidence comes solely with coaching: “Confidence in selling cruise products can only come with dedicated training and exposure.”
Understanding preferences
According to Ratrudee Sittisint, government director, TT Travel Agency, Thai folks need to discover the regional locations first. Their holidays are brief and so they place a precedence on regional locations, adopted by meals and leisure.
Meanwhile, Indians more and more view cruising as “the hero of the holiday”, shared Chadha. Cruising was as soon as an add-on however has now change into the centrepiece of holidays.
He additionally revealed that his firm is near a tripartite settlement with a tech associate: “The technology company approached us saying, ‘you guys sell experiences, right?… Let’s go find a travel partner who can service the business that was generated from the bank, and then use you from a content, rates, inventory, and experience point of view’.”
Focusing on employees
EU Holidays prioritises employees retention and improvement, and provides versatile working days. It applies the 80/20 rule, the place 20% of employees time is devoted to challenges past their consolation zones. Ong famous that youthful staff particularly embrace this tradition of development.
AI is more and more shaping journey operations and EU Holidays runs month-to-month AI programs the place employees learn to create movies, music, and avatars with out sending videographers overseas.
Industry leaders preserve that individuals stay indispensable. Pauline Suharno, president, ASTINDO, said that in contrast to AI, brokers don’t simply present fast solutions – they confirm info by means of official authorities web sites, seek the advice of seniors, airways, and even embassies to make sure accuracy. This thorough course of builds belief and delivers dependable options and clients proceed to see journey brokers as important companions in navigating journey wants.
Soft promoting and upselling at journey festivals
Travel festivals are evolving to mirror altering journey preferences. Frederick Yip, government director at Goldjoy Group, defined that their purpose at journey festivals is just not about changing gross sales. It was about having a spot the place they will showcase their model and merchandise to attach with purchasers to search out out extra about their wants, after which comply with up with them after the honest.
Nigel Wong, president, MATTA, added that the human reference to the best journey advisor is essential to upselling packages, as mirrored in rising spending patterns at MATTA Fair 2025.