Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line has entered into a new partnership with TRAVELSAVERS-its first preferred supplier agreement with a consortium for many years.
Carnival's Vice President of Sales and Trade Marketing Adolfo Perez said that before this new agreement, the cruise line's only preferred partner was AAA with whom it has had a partnership with for decades. Changes Carnival made several years ago led to the termination of some agreements it had had with other consortia including Signature, Vacation.com and American Express, he said.
Perez said those changes focused on commission tiers and co-op advertising among other things.
The agreement with TRAVELSAVERS and NEST (Network of Entrepreneurs Selling Travel), a marketing group exclusively for home-based agents, "really shows our commitment to agents," said Perez. "It immediately impacts the several thousand TRAVELSAVERS agents. We couldn't be more excited."
Asked if Carnival is now considering additional preferred supplier relationships with other consortia, Perez said that while the cruise line is "always looking for business opportunities that are mutually beneficial," it is not currently in discussions with any other consortia for similar partnerships.
The TRAVELSAVERS network is composed of 2,500 independently-owned, full-service travel agencies in more than 35 countries.
As part of the agreement, TRAVELSAVERS and NEST members will receive specialized training from Carnival, tailored marketing support, custom benefits in the cruise line's travel agent rewards program, enhanced commissions, and dedicated support from Carnival's sales team.
Nicole Mazza, TRAVELSAVERS and NEST'S chief marketing officer, will also join Carnival's Executive Forum group, which supports the line in developing key trade strategies.
"We are excited to welcome Carnival as a preferred partner - the current leadership team has demonstrated a renewed commitment and dedication to the industry," said TRAVELSAVERS and NEST'S Chief Marketing Officer, Nicole Mazza. "Our team looks forward to building a strong and mutually beneficial program together."
Carnival's Vice President of Field Sales Mike Julius added, "This agreement marks an important step in strengthening our relationships with travel agent consortia and is a direct result of our 'Onboard with You' trade support platform. We can't wait to begin working with TRAVELSAVERS and NEST agents on expanding their Carnival business."
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