The Ireland Cruise Conference will be held in Dublin on 20 November.

Clia said the event had been created to enable it to “work closer with Irish agents” and offer “expert knowledge, selling advice and industry insight to help agents sell more cruises” to an expanding market in the country – which grew passenger numbers by 8.3% in 2018 with 48,300 cruise holidays taken.

The inaugural conference is open to all Irish travel agents and will include business sessions with industry experts and a trade fair offering agents the chance to meet with cruise lines face-to-face.

The Ireland Cruise Conference is part of a series of Clia events to be held in Ireland this year – with a Cruise Showcase day also taking place on 13 September, giving attendees the chance to visit ships, such as Princess Cruises’ Crown Princess.

Registration for the conference will open next week on Clia’s website.

Andy Harmer, Clia UK and Ireland director, said: “Through the Ireland Cruise Conference, Clia aims to help bring together the Irish travel community who are extremely important in the growth of the Irish cruise sector.

“There is an undeniable growing demand for cruises in Ireland, so it’s important for Clia to help equip agents with the knowledge and experience in order to feel confident in selling the right cruises to the right customer.

“By attending this exciting event, Irish agents will have the opportunity to connect directly with cruise lines and learn about the latest news, trends and updates in the ever-changing industry.”