Costa’s Hong Kong-based team plans to work directly with more travel agencies in Australia and New Zealand. DARIO RUSTICO, SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR, Pacific Asia operations, Costa Cruises, has told CW that the company will be using a greater number of leading agencies in Australia and NZ to increase its...
Costa’s Hong Kong-based
team plans to work directly
with more travel agencies in
Australia and New Zealand.
DARIO RUSTICO, SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR,
Pacific Asia operations, Costa Cruises, has
told CW that the company will be using a
greater number of leading agencies in Australia
and NZ to increase its market penetration.
“As we speak, new agencies are being
added to the Costa network,” he said.
The changes follow the announcement
that Complete Cruise Solution will no longer
be the main local point of contact for the
line, which will instead directly manage sales
enquiries from its regional headquarters in
Hong Kong.
CCS will continue to support travel agents
in selling cruises on Costa ships until 1 Aug.
Rustico said there were many “enhancements
versus the past” arrangement.
“By working directly with an enlarged
number of important, leading and selected
partners in Australia and New Zealand,
Costa can grant them direct access to our
reservation system and access to sophisticated
and tailor-made reports which can help both
Costa and our partners to better monitor our
sales progress and, as a consequence, take
more accurate commercial decisions,” he said.
Partners will also have immediate access to
Costa’s database of photos, videos, press
releases and information about special
promotion departures and fam trips.
“There will be no filter between Costa
management and the partners and access to
a plan of co-advertisement budgets,” Rustico
added.
Explaining CCS’ position, Sandy Olsen,
director corporate affairs, Carnival Australia,
said: “Costa’s growth around the world has
created the opportunity for them to revisit their
business model, which is what this move is about.
“We are all part of the Carnival family and
senior management are in regular discussions
about direction to match business growth.
“We have been discussing the best
approach with Costa for a while,” Olsen said.
One of Costa’s existing PSAs, Brett Dudley,
sees the move as a good opportunity for
agencies serviced by his company,
cruiseagents.travel.
“Independent agents are not going to be
disadvantaged because they can get instant
pricing and access to our website,” he said.
Agents and consumers will also have the
chance to inspect Costa Deliziosa when it
visits Australia next year, Dudley confirmed.
