The river line hopes the campaign will raise awareness of Avalon Waterways’ offering in the UK market, with the TV advert airing on Sky, ITV and Channel 4 over a six-week period.
Giles Hawke, chief executive of Cosmos Tours said: “As we head towards the Brexit process, concerns have already been voiced in the industry about the possibility of cruise holiday prices rising, so it’s even more important to get the message across about the inclusiveness of a river cruise.”
Avalon’s updated website also features a dedicated trade portal with a refreshed look and an “easily navigable design”, showcasing its range of “worldwide unique river cruise holidays”.
Agents can now easily tailor customers’ cruise and travel arrangements with the option to select their preferred stateroom category, closest UK departure airport and favourite airline.
Janet Parton, Avalon’s head of trade sales told TTG: “Every element of the new website has benefits to the travel agent, especially the trade login for agents and the website’s simplicity to navigate.”
When asked if Avalon Waterways hoped to appeal to a younger customer base, Parton said: “We are already targeting a slightly younger audience, but as far as us going even younger, we would never say never and it is certainly not something we would rule out.”
Avalon’s website will also host three shortened 30-second versions of the TV advert to encapsulate the Avalon cruise experience.
Parton also revealed that agents will be given the option to personalise the advert with their own company logo and contact details, allowing them to host the advert on their own website and social media channels.
Hawke added: “We want to instill confidence into the market and believe our TV campaign will do just that, driving first-time river cruise customers to our agent partners.
“Improving our brochure and web design will further help agents sell Avalon cruises.”
