At SCENIC Tours’ annual awards
night on Sat, a range of exciting
developments were revealed to
the audience of leading agents
from around Australia and New
Zealand.
Eight new ships are set to
debut in 2015 and 2016, with
the firm adding another mystery
destination will soon be revealed.
The first two – the Scenic Opal
and Scenic Jasper – will debut on
the Rhine River next year.
Scenic Tours gm sales and
marketing, Michelle Black hinted:
“In 2015 we will add five new
ships including two for the Rhine,
Opal and Jasper, and a new
destination that I can’t say just
yet.”
The two European newbuilds
are designed to offer more space
and an additional spa called a
“vitality pool”.
Growing its presence in France,
the company will relocate the
Scenic Diamond from the Rhine &
Danube to the region next year.
The company also plans to
launch three more new ships in
2016, Black said.
“We’re building ships faster than
we can find rivers,” she quipped.
Black also revealed an
expansion of this year’s Antarctic
program with French line
Compagnie du Ponant.
“Building on our Antarctica
partnership with Ponant, we will
do more private charters.
“Our first exclusive charter on
Le Boreal sold out in two weeks,
so in 2015 we will have two
exclusive charters to Antarctica
with Ponant.”
The “Night of Stars” also
recognised each state’s top
performing agencies: Sorrento
Quay Travel & Cruise Centre (WA);
Harvey World Travel Barossa
Valley (SA); Harvel World Travel
Burnie (Tas); helloworld Albury
(Vic); helloworld Strathpine (Qld);
Weston Cruise & Travel (NSW) &
House of Travel Morrisville (NZ).
The multi-location national
agency award went to homebased
agent group MTA Travel.
Australia’s top national
consultant was Deborah Long,
of Weston Cruise & Travel; NZ’s
was Rachel Rhind from House of
Travel Johnsonville.
The 2013 sales manager of the
year was Rob Kalemba, Scenic’s
rep for the SA/Tas/NT regions.
The number of “Diamond
Agencies”, achieving more than
$1m in sales also doubled – from
five last year to 11 this year.
Ranked in the top three were
Weston Cruise & Travel, National
Seniors Travel and Harvey World
Travel Sylvania.
