On Thursday (March 30), the line launched its flagship, the four-star MS Arena.
Speaking to TTG onboard, sales and business development manager Tim Fleming said: “The feedback we get from agents is that we’re one of the best-kept secrets.
"We want to spread the word, enable agents to see the product and get confident. Our commitment to travel agents is there... and commission is 12% on all revenue agents bring in.”
On Thursday (31 March), the line launched the first phase of its online agents’ portal through www.arenatravel.com, allowing them to book online and manage existing bookings. Functionality is being developed to give access to imagery, special offers and training.
Video training is currently available, and fam trips are planned for 2022. Agents can obtain marketing collateral from the marketing team, which has expanded from three to six this year.
The line has also announced a deal with marketing and business support agency 3FOR, to promote its products to UK agents and develop new commercial relationships.
Managing director Trevor Davies joined MS Arena’s first sailing and explained: “I want to make agents aware of the breadth of product, as that will equate to great sales. The river cruise sector is quite noisy, and there are a lot of operators claiming to have the biggest and the best offerings.
“But there is a gap in the market, so it’s about positioning [the MS Arena] for the right audience, as it’s a four-star ship, it’s incredibly friendly and offers terrific value.”
To introduce the Irish trade to the line, it has been working with general sales agent ASM Ireland for the past six months.
Managing director Alan Sparling attended the ship launch with four Irish agents, and said: “The reaction has been extremely positive. The pricing is competitive and it’s a really good product. Onboard [Arena cruises] there are normally just Irish and UK guests, and the food is geared towards their palate, so there is a definite place for this type of river cruise in Ireland.”
To access the Arena River Cruises portal, email agencysales@arenatravel.com.
