During Seatrade Cruise Global 2016 last week and today, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has announced Cindy D'Aoust as its new president and CEO, a new partnership with Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) and a call for 2016 CLIA Hall of Fame Cruise Industry Awards nominations.
New President and Chief Executive Officer
After serving as CLIA's Acting CEO and executive vice president of membership and operations, Cindy D'Aoust has been named the new president and CEO by the association's Global Executive Committee. Last week, she also made an appearance at Seatrade's CLIA press conference, available to watch in embedded video below.
"Cindy has proven to be an extremely valuable and knowledgeable member of our executive team. Her extensive experience in the hospitality and travel industries, combined with her leadership skills and passion for the cruise industry, made her the right person to guide our global industry association on an exciting journey forward." said Adam M. Goldstein, Global CLIA Chairman and President & COO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Previously, D'Aoust gained more than 20 years of hospitality and travel experience that included being chief operating officer of Meeting Professionals International and filling senior positions at Maxvantage and Maritz Travel. In her new role at CLIA, she will promote the cruise industry and manage dealings with the organization's members on a global scale. She seeks to generate a greater voice for cruise travel.
"I am honored to take on the official role of president and CEO of CLIA, representing cruise lines, travel agencies and agents, and executive partners across the globe" said D'Aoust. "CLIA is a strong and well-respected organization with an impressive global team. Now more than ever, it is important for the cruise industry to collaborate and create a stronger global voice. I look forward to building on the organization's current success and delivering on our mission to be the unified global organization that helps our members succeed by advocating, educating and promoting for the common interests of the cruise community."
Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA)
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) also partnered to elevate the FCCA's existing quarterly magazine into an international publication.
"This partnership represents a step forward for both the associations and cruise industry," said Micky Arison, chairman, Carnival Corporation & plc and FCCA. "FCCA's magazine has long been the cruise industry's official magazine, and it now expands to represent the industry on the global scale. It also extends the focus to engage travel agents, wholesalers and other tourism professionals."
"Travel & Cruise" has for over 20 years provided updates pertaining to the Caribbean and Latin America, with a circulation of nearly 20,000 of the FCCA's partners, encompassing 500 cruise executives. It will continue to be issued four times a year as a source for industry news and exclusive content. The inaugural joint issue will publish in the second quarter of 2016.
"Uniting to expand an already flourishing publication was an obvious approach to educate and provide value to our global membership base," said D'Aoust. "By working with FCCA and leveraging CLIA's global resources, industry knowledge and existing partners, this magazine will be a valuable resource for industry leaders and our growing community of travel professionals."
For additional details, visit www.travelandcruise.com.
2016 CLIA Hall of Fame Cruise Industry Awards
Looking ahead towards CLIA's official Cruise360 conference, the association has issued a call for 2016 CLIA Hall of Fame Cruise Industry Awards nominations to recognize the important efforts of individuals and organizations in the industry. Submissions will be accepted beginning on March 22, and the winners will be announced at the conference at a special event on June 2, 2016.
CLIA Agency and Individual Agent Members may nominate in the following categories:
Travel Agency Innovator Award - awarding a travel agency for innovation in cruise travel promotion
Rising Star Award - awarding an individual agent for impacting the industry through agency contributions and professional dedication
Lifetime Achievement Award (Hall of Fame) - awarding an individual for their industry advocacy and contributions
"CLIA takes great pride in celebrating and recognizing our members who have made a significant impact in the cruise industry," said D'Aoust. "Our refreshed awards program gives CLIA members an even greater opportunity to select the award recipients and we can't wait to see who will be honored this year."
Topics From This Article to Explore
