| Zegrahm coming to Australia in 2013

Under new ownership, Small
Ship Adventure Company and
Alaska Bound are set to launch
several products in the local
market.
THE sale of Small Ship Adventure Company
and Alaska Bound to Asia Pacific Travel
Marketing Services (APTMS), announced
yesterday, will see an expansion of agent
services and a wider range of cruise packages
for Australian clients.
Suzannah Cowley, the company’s new sales
and marketing director, told CW that one of the
most exciting developments would be Zegrahm
Expeditions’ entry into Australia next year.
For the first time, Zegrahm’s expanded fleet
of vessels will primarily circle the Pacific Rim
and offer voyages in the Kimberley, as well as
Tasmania, New Zealand and the sub-Antarctic
islands, Vietnam and Cambodia, Indonesia and
Borneo, Japan and South Korea, and Melanesia
and Micronesia.
The company also recently signed up
Australian-owned North Star Cruises, which
operates the adventure vessel True North.
Other new options include Eastern Canada,
small coach touring added to Alaskan cruises,
and the Rocky Mountaineer train packaged
with more small ships.
“Our 100% dedication to small ships won’t
change – it’s business as normal but with an
expanded service,” Cowley said.
“We really wanted to expand, and Asia
Pacific (APTMS) is a great match because they
didn’t have any cruise product but they have
people like Richard Davis, formerly of
Adventure World, who has a lot of small ship and
Alaska experience, which was important to us.”
The acquisition will allow Small Ship
Adventure Co and Alaska Bound to improve
services for travel agents, Cowley said.
“As we shift into the online market, we need
more expertise, and Asia Pacific has the
resources for us to establish better agent
support and marketing.
“We can now use their technology to offer
webinars and more sales tools, such as ebrochures
and flyers, to help agents convert sales.”
The move also sees the farewell of the
company’s popular founder, Maryann Anderson.
Due to family matters, Anderson has decided
to “slow down”, Cowley said.
Agents can post their personal messages on a
Facebook page set up this week: ‘Maryann
Anderson – Travel Industry Farewell’.