CRYSTAL Cruises is in advanced stages of appointing a new key account manager in Sydney, along with an Australian call centre which will be located in new Melbourne offices of sister company Abercrombie & Kent. The growth of the local Crystal team is being spearheaded by Tony Archbold, the company’s...
CRYSTAL Cruises is in advanced stages of appointing a new key account manager in Sydney, along with an Australian call centre which will be located in new Melbourne offices of sister company Abercrombie & Kent.
The growth of the local Crystal team is being spearheaded by Tony Archbold, the company’s Asia-Pacific Vice President of Sales, who is also planning to appoint a new salesperson in Asia as well as a support resource closer to home.
Speaking on board the first voyage of Crystal Serenity following its acquisition by A&K Travel Group last year, Archbold also confirmed he would be relocating to a Melbourne base under the One A&K strategy, which sees him reporting to A&K MD Australasia, Debra Fox.
He expects the call centre, initially with three to four staff, to be in full operation in the next few months, with the flurry of activity coming ahead of the expected imminent release of Crystal’s 2025 programs.
Archbold’s territory extends from India right through to Japan, Australia, New Zealand and all the way to French Polynesia, and he is expecting a very busy cruise season Down Under, with keen interest from the trade wanting to inspect Crystal Symphony when she cruises in local waters this coming Dec (CW 02 Feb).
Crystal is also undergoing changes in its distribution in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa regions, where previously it had been represented by GSAs but is now switching to having its own presence led by former Hurtigruten EMEA Head of Sales, Andrew Magowan.
Crystal Chairman and major shareholder Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio was escorted aboard Serenity in Dubrovnik yesterday by A&K Travel Group CEO Cristina Levis, sparking speculation that a major announcement about further growth for Crystal may be in the offing during a planned trade briefing later this week.
Archbold is pictured at right with Mary-Beth Meadowcroft, A&K Group Senior VP of Sales and Reservations (who also happens to be another Aussie), A&K Travel Group CEO Cristina Levis and A&K MD Australasia Debra Fox.
