Connected to the Trade

By Kate Rice

Paul Gauguin Cruises debuts a new website for agents

Paul Gauguin Cruises epitomizes cruising in Tahiti, French Polynesia and the South Pacific. Launched in 1998 and operated most recently by Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the 332-passenger Paul Gauguin is now owned by Pacific Beachcomber. The ship has undergone more than $25 million in enhancements since its inaugural sail in 1998.

Although Pacific Beachcomber is taking over the stewardship of the vessel this month, Laurent Le Breton, assisting managing director of Beachcomber, stresses that the Paul Gauguin remains what it was, right down to having the same crew. The new management is focusing on its relationship with travel agents, and a key part of that strategy is the Travel Agent Center, its new website.

To use the site, go to www.pgcruises.com and register with an IATA number, at the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. The Travel Agent Center offers online booking (the previous site did not have booking capabilities). You can reserve a specific suite or stateroom, air and/or insurance at any time of day. And even more enhancements, including pre-and post-hotels and excursions and dinner reservations, are coming. It gives instant access to marketing tools, which include high-quality videos, e-brochures, DVDs, pre-printed shells, flyers, photos, logos and more.

Tim McKenna, a well-known surf photographer, has taken images of the ship (including helicopter views) to add to the image library that’s available for your use. The new site also gives you access to availability and pricing by online selection of destination, sailing dates and length of cruise. You also can pull up company press releases, ship information and frequently asked questions. The site lets you stay up-to-date with ongoing promotions, request materials and manage active reservations.

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The consumer site has a “Find an Agent” icon, which consumers can use to find an agent near them by using a system based on zip codes. Right now, this list includes agents who have sold Paul Gauguin Cruises in the past. The company is planning a series of webinars to educate agents about the ship and all it has to offer.

“We have great photography, videos and copy to make it easy [for agents] to send to their clients,” says Chris Bensley, vice president of marketing for Paul Gauguin. If you don’t want to download marketing materials, you can also order catalogs, brochures, flyers and shells from Paul Gauguin’s fulfillment center, free of charge.

Maintaining a partnership with agents is Pacific Beachcomber’s overarching philosophy, according to Bensley. It seeks to give agents all the incentives they need to get their clients to experience “an incredible” destination. “We’re completely travel agent friendly,” says Le Breton. “We work with the trade.” Its trade outreach efforts go beyond the web; the company is also meeting with agents and major accounts in the field.

Le Breton calls the Paul Gauguin a logical addition to Pacific Beachcomber’s portfolio. The ship was created to sail the waters of Tahiti and French Polynesia; Le Breton says Polynesians consider the ship their own, they wanted the ship to stay in the region. “We’re keeping the same itinerary. We’re keeping the same captain and crew,” says Le Breton. The goal is to create synergies with the rest of Pacific Beachcomber’s portfolio to make the Paul Gauguin experience even more authentic.

Since 1998, the Paul Gauguin has completed more than 500 South Pacific cruises and served more than 140,000 guests. The ship will embark on 38 expeditions in 2010 to destinations including Tahiti, the Society Islands, Tuamotus, the Cook Islands, Marquesas, Tonga, Fiji, and New Zealand.

Pacific Beachcomber is a leader in luxury destination resorts in French Polynesia, and it has a sales staff of about 40 people working in the U.S. In addition to the Paul Gauguin, Pacific Beachcomber operates five award-winning hotels in the region. Its next resort project is The Brando, a luxury eco-resort on the actor’s remote private island, ten minutes by air from Tahiti.

For more information

800-848-6172 | www.pgcruises.com