How to sell: Wellness

Be Inspired 32 / How to sell

Wellness cruises

Themed cruises and active excursions are some of the ways in which cruise lines are extending their wellness offering. Charlotte Flach takes a closer look

Why sell it

Wellness is trending in 2023 and cruise lines are offering a number of holistic health activities to help clients rejuvenate.

A survey from Mundy Cruising highlighted the importance of wellness for cruise customers, with findings showing that 27% are looking for spa and wellness facilities and 23% for healthy food and drink options.

Covid and its after effects have led to a renewed energy to combine travel with experiences that promote relaxation and wellbeing– so now is the ideal time to sell.

Mundy’s survey also found that 53% of respondents rate a recommendation from their travel agent higher than one from family and friends, indicating a growing confidence in advice agents give.

Ultimately, recent times have shown customers the importance of looking after themselves both physically and mentally, says Lucia Rowe, Managing Director at A-ROSA River Cruises UK & Ireland.

“For many, being on holiday nowadays is about so much more than just being away, it’s about taking time out from the usual day-to-day pressures, it’s about being with loved ones and about taking care of ourselves in whatever way we see fit. Our meditation cruises are selling really well, which is testament to this fact.”

Hiking cruise witH sail croatia

Who to sell to

Cruising for solo travellers is also on the rise, according to Mundy, and the demand for all-inclusive is still increasingly important. Ideal for solo travellers, small ships are trending with 47% of cruisers seeking out more intimate sailings.

Wellness is also a great hook for luxury lovers with onboard spas and finedining great selling points. According to Mundy, 30% plan to travel in higher grade accommodation in 2023 with opportunities to upsell for those celebrating a special occasion or looking for luxurious add-ons to a bucket list experience.

spa facilities on arosa sena indoor pool onboard explora i

What to sell

Wellness encapsulates a huge range of experiences, including spas, fitness facilities, yoga, active shore excursions and healthy eating. Luckily there is plenty of existing and new product available.

CroisiEurope has expanded its excursion offering to include hiking, canoing, cycling and other outdoors pursuits, following an increased appetite for active excursions.

The operator has also grown its Cruise & Walk itineraries for 2023 with the addition of the Canary Islands and Corsica. These sailings feature guided walks through beautiful scenery by day, with cruising overnight. Other itineraries offered are across the Adriatic; along the Douro and the Danube; through the Rhône and Saône regions, within Italy; and on the Moselle, the

Msc eMbraces nature on its sHore excursions

explora i debuts an ocean wellness prograMMe

top deck yoga wtH arosa

Saar, the Rhine and the Neckar rivers.

Similarly, Sail Croatia has seen real growth in its health and fitness offerings, namely its Cycle Cruises which includes the opportunity to ride across Hvar, Mljet National Park and Krka National Park, and its Hike Cruises with trails across Solta, Vis, Korcula, Hvar, Bol and Makarska.

A-ROSA River Cruises has launched a meditation-themed cruise on the Danube for 2023, for those seeking a more lowkey way to decompress. They will join a mindfulness coach for daily sessions and personalised one-to-one sessions. Guests can complement their meditation classes with a visit to the spa or a yoga class.

When to sell

Cruising is a strong sell year round due to the variety of activities and entertainment, both onboard and onshore excursions.

Itineraries are tailored to fit the season and location and take in local activities of note at each stop.

While the summer months are usually overwhelmingly busy for cruise lines, there is plenty of scope to sell outside of these, says Mundy’s survey. Over 38% will travel in the early part of 2023, with over 50% choosing to cruise in the autumn and winter seasons between October 2023 and March 2024, plus over 59% are planning ahead for summer 2024 and beyond.

The versatility of cruise allows for sailings in both warm and colder destinations, and although the Mediterranean continues to be a favourite, as well as European river cruising, local itineraries in the British Isles, or the Baltic and Norwegian Fjords are very popular too.

And with over 40% planning to prioritise once-in-a-lifetime trips including the Polar Regions (9%), Japan (10%) and South America (9%), agents should highlight the year-round appeal of these bucket list destinations. Be Inspired How to sell / 33

What’s new

MSC’s recently-launched luxury cruising brand, Explora Journeys, has launched its Ocean Wellness programme on EXPLORA I, addressing sleep, relaxation, mindfulness, energy and immunity-boosting. Its spa offers a sensorial therapeutic circuit, combining a hydrotherapy pool, steam room, Finnish sauna, salt cave, experience shower, and ice fall, while a sports court, panoramic running track and touch tennis add to extensive fitness facilities.

There are also tailor-made consultations and retreat programmes, ranging from sleep and immune boosting to nutritionfocused. An extensive yoga programme means enthusiasts can choose from energy flow power classes, sleep Yoga; relaxation yoga and mindfulness Yoga to anchor body and mind through meditation; and immune-boosting yoga to support health and reduce anxiety via pranayama breathing techniques.

“Neuroscience has shown how the ocean calms the mind, revitalises the body, and boosts the immune function,” says Julanda Marais, Senior Lead Spa Operations on EXPLORA I.

“Instead of the relentless demands of the day-to-day, guests explore new destinations and cultures, spend leisurely time with companions, forge links with like-minded people, and reconnect with what matters,” adds Marais. •

Book it with... AROSA A five-night ‘Meditation – A Journey into Inner Peace’ cruise onboard A-ROSA FLORA is priced from £1,379pp. The cruise departs on November 4 and 19, 2023 and sails along the Rhine, stopping at Cologne, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Utrecht. arosa-cruises.co.uk

Trade talk 34 / The review

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Titan’s new Worldwide tours

Titan’s latest Worldwide brochure features 25 new tours including options in Japan, Cuba and a Canadian Rocky Mountains adventure.

Priced from £6,999pp, the escorted 21-day Grand Tour of Japan will visit Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima, with travel on three bullet trains. Flights are with Japan Airlines from London Heathrow, based on an October 16 2023 departure.

The 16-day Viva Cuba tour, priced from £2,969pp, will take in Havana and then some of the lesser-known parts of the island including Santiago de Cuba, Trinidad and two Caribbean beach resorts. The deal is based on a May 30 departure from London Gatwick with Air Europa.

The 11-day Journey Through the Clouds escorted tour will include two days on board luxury train Rocky Mountaineer, five days exploring the pine-scented wilderness of Jasper and Banff and two nights in Vancouver. Based on a May 2 2023 departure, it is priced from £4,249pp.

Titan is offering every customer a free airport lounge pass at No1 and Aspire Lounges on every new international booking made from December 28 2022 through to January 31 2023.

Andy Squirrell, Titan’s Managing Director, commented: “After an incredible year of holidays, we’re delighted launch our latest Worldwide brochure to help our customers plan their new travel adventures for 2023 and 2024. There’s a real joy to exploring the world and allowing us to look after the finer details leaves you free to do just that.” titantravel.co.uk

A-Rosa has booking incentives for agents

River cruise line A-ROSA is running its firstever agent incentive programme.

‘Wave’, which ends on January 31, offers agents booking directly with A-ROSA incentives such as free UK airport lounge passes for their clients on each booking and £50 Love2Shop vouchers for themselves.

Key campaign messages for agents during the campaign include a saving of £800 per couple on seven-night cruises in 2023 – available on all dates and rivers – with a lead-in price of £1,475pp on the Seine, departing October 12, and a saving of £2,000 per couple on the 18-night Danube Delta cruise in 2023, based on an April 10 2023 departure, with prices from £3,999pp.

Best overall lead-in price for an A-Rosa cruise in 2023 is £949pp, for a four-night mini cruise on the Rhine in November.

A-ROSA launched its bespoke ATOL protected packaged products, including flights and pre/post stays, in spring 2022. arosa-cruises.co.uk

P&O Cruises has Select onboard offer

P&O Cruises is offering guests up to £500 on-board spending money when they book a Select Price holiday by March 6, 2023.

The offer, available on selected departures between December 16 2022 and April 1 2025, means guests can use the on-board spending money in a variety of ways – such as a treatment in the spa, a shore excursion or dining in one of the speciality restaurants.

Also, guests can book with a 10% deposit when they book a new Select Price or Early Saver holiday by March 6 2023 on departures during the same period.

Throughout January and February, P&O Cruises is giving travel agents the chance to win a pair of tickets to a one-day gala event on board its newest ship, Arvia, in April. For their chance to win and to keep up to date with P&O Cruises’ latest information, agents can join the cruise line’s training team through one of its Facebook Live sessions. pocruises.com

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Hong Kong ends measures

Hong Kong – which had some of the world’s most stringent Covid-19 measures – has eased entry restrictions for tourists, following a similar move by mainland China. Visitors are no longer be required to take a PCR test and the vaccine pass system has also been removed – but a compulsory mask mandate in public places is still in place. discoverhongkong.com

• Riviera’s drinks package

Riviera Travel is offering a free drinks package on all European river cruises departing in July and August 2023, applicable on bookings made up to February 28, with 82 departures across 11 different itineraries. The drinks package includes a selection of wines, draft beer and soft drinks at both lunch and dinner onboard. rivieratravel.co.uk

• Raffles heads to Boston

The Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences will be the first Raffles property in the U.S. when it opens in May 2023. With 147 guestrooms, it is located in the Back Bay area, close to shopping on Newbury Street and within easy reach of Fenway Park with its new MGM Music Hall. raffles.com

• BA flies to Florence

British Airways has added a new direct service from the UK to Italy to its summer 2023 schedule. Starting on April 26, the new flight to Florence will operate daily from Heathrow’s Terminal 5 on an A320Neo aircraft. britishairways.com

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National Holidays takes flight

National Holidays’ expanded product range for 2023 includes 48 new tours in Britain and Ireland and 26 in Europe, including for the first time 10 new holidays by air.

The coach break operator’s new line up of classic coach tour options feature many well-established holidays sold through sister brand, Just Go! Holidays.

The existing programme of ‘budgetfriendly breaks’ has been rebranded as the ‘SuperValue Selection’, with over 100 tours including best-sellers such as ‘Emmerdale Village – The Tour’ and ‘Llandudno Weekend Leisure break’.

New choices include 38 new five-, six- and seven-day classic collection coach tours in Britain including: a five-day Regal Scotland, Glamis Castle, Royal Yacht & Edinburgh; a five-day Northumberland, Hadrian’s Wall, Holy Island & Alnwick Castle; a fiveday Great Little Trains of North Wales & Portmeirion; and a five-day Gentleman Jack’s Charming Yorkshire.

Prices start from £299pp for a five-day Isle of Wight ‘Royals and Rails’ break.

There are six new tours in Ireland including a six-day ‘Irish Craic & Culture’ option that includes stays in Dublin and Belfast. Prices start from £649pp.

The 26 new European Collection tours

PROCHASSEN FREDERIC/SHUTTERSTOCK

include a four-day ‘Normandy, the British D-Day Memorial and Rouen’ break by coach from £349pp, a nine-day ‘Grand Tour of Italy’ by coach from £829pp and a sevenday “Villas & Gardens on the French Riviera’ break by air from £1059pp.

To help agents identify the type of tours on the operator’s agent website, every tour has a new icon marking it as a ‘Classic’ or a ‘SuperValue Selection’.

For 2023, three separate brochures have also created: National Holidays Britain & Ireland Collection, National Holidays SuperValue and National Holidays European Collection. They can be ordered from BP TradeGate over the coming days. nationalholidays.com/agents Trade talk The review / 35

NEWS IN BRIEF

• New coaster at Universal

Pipeline: The Surf Coaster, SeaWorld Orlando’s seventh roller coaster, will debut in the spring. The attraction will be the world’s first ‘Surf Coaster,’ offering immersive design elements, including a dynamic surfing launch and ‘wave jumping’ motions for an ocean adventure with a difference. seaworld.com

• Dulles to downtown D.C.

Washington Dulles International Airport (in Virginia) is now linked to downtown Washington D.C. after the Silver Line extension of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail expansion project opened in November. The line makes it much easier for passengers to travel from the airport to the nation’s capital and around the Capital Region. Virginia attractions include more than 330 wineries virginia.org

Jersey highlights the unique and familiar

Visit Jersey’s brand-new winter campaign, launched on Boxing Day, is designed to ignite interest in an island break to the Channel Island in 2023.

An extension of the ‘Curiously Brit …(ish)’ theme that ran in 2022, the campaign assets encourage Brits to think differently about the Channel Island.

Running across TV, video on demand, digital, out of home, print an Visit Jersey’s official website until the end of March, the campaign aims to drive awareness of and interest in Jersey as a spring/summer holiday destination.

The new ‘creatives’ are designed to capture the unexpected side of the island – from historical reenactments at Mont Orgueil Castle to sea swims, seafood and paddle boarding takeaways on the island’s south coast. They also feature images of the historical holiday lets at Seymour Tower.

Visitors are also encouraged to see Jersey as combining the best of both worlds, the excitement and allure of an overseas holiday with the familiarity, low carbon footprint and security of a staycation

Claire Lyons at Visit Jersey commented: “We had an excellent summer season in 2022 and really want to continue the momentum by raising Jersey’s profile across the UK for 2023, highlighting not just our proximity and connectivity to cities across the UK, but also the plethora of unexpected and extraordinary experiences that visitors can expect when they arrive. We want people to consider Jersey as comfortably familiar, but with a continental twist.” jersey.com