When it comes to shore excursions and pre- and post-cruise land stays, tour operators can provide you with attractive sales options that will help you boost your business and exceed your clients’ expectations.

As cruising continues to flourish, it makes good business sense to sell products related to this industry. “Cruising is one of the fastest-growing segments within our sector,” said James Phillips, president of TravelBound. “According to research published by Expedia, cruising is growing at 9 percent year-on-year. CLIA recently announced that there [had been] an expected 25 million cruise passengers in 2016. So it’s big business.”

Arguably, shore excursions and pre- and post-cruise stays are a natural extension of a cruise, and lines offer a wide array of options for their guests. But according to Phillips, tour operators provide cruisers with options that are distinct from what the lines offer. “Tour operators often offer more intimate small-group and private experiences that are intended for a segment within the segment,” he said.

Many tour operators focus on travelers’ specific interests. “The key for us is to drill down to what travelers really enjoy and use that as a foundation for the shore excursion,” said Richard Krieger, president of the IsramWorld Portfolio of Brands. “The feedback we’ve received is that our shore excursions are excellent ‘mini’ experiences that our experts usually create for multi-day customized programs. In fact, travelers that have taken our shore excursions often come back to us for full programs to other destinations.”

For travel agents, booking excursions through tour operators can also provide their clients with a better value proposition. “Booking shore excursions and pre and post-cruise hotel stays, transfers and activities through tour operators gives agents significantly better prices and a far greater selection than booking with the cruise lines,” said Harry Dalgaard, president of Avanti Destinations. “Avanti has private and shared excursion options in all major cruise ports, both ocean and river, in Europe, Asia, Central and South America that will give your clients better value and more authentic experiences that give them a true flavor of the place. We strongly encourage agents to explore the many possibilities beyond what the cruise lines themselves offer.”

In many cases, one of the biggest advantages for travel agents working with tour operators on shore excursions and pre- and post-cruise packages is higher commissions. “The business model for tour operators is different than that of cruise lines. Because of this specialization, tour operators will pay commission to travel agents on the experience, which cruise companies often won’t do, more frequently offering compensation only on the cruise portion of the package,” said Phillips. “This means that for travel agents looking to maximize their return per booking it pays to use tour operators for excursions. Not only does the travel agent benefit through getting paid, but if using a quality operator, the travel agent has an opportunity to really delight the customer through offering the highest quality experiences.”

THE SHORETRIPS OPTION

ShoreTrips, which has been in business since 2001, offers personalized excursions and activities out of 420 cruise ship ports in 180 cities around the globe – serving approximately 500,000 cruise passengers a year.

The company vets each and every tour and meets every tour operator, according to ShoreTrips’ owners Barry and Julie Karp, who are 30-year travel industry veterans.

ShoreTrips’ product offerings include historic city tours, food tours, winery tours, eco tours, kayaking tours, whale watching tours, helicopter glacier tours, biking tours, hiking tours, whitewater rapids tours, cooking demonstrations, Vietnam war tunnel tours, bear-viewing excursions and more.

In Barry Karp’s view, booking shore excursions in advance provides agents with a way in which to forge stronger relationships with their customers. “Agents are able to create a closer bond with travelers by providing a more in-depth service during the pre-vacation period when travelers are excited about their impending vacations,” said Karp, a former travel agent himself. “At that point they’ve already paid for the cruise – they are over the hump – and are now looking at the experiences they are going to have on their vacation.”

The end result? “It keeps the travel agent better connected to the customer – and it provides a chance to really establish a bond,” he said.