The company currently makes between £4-5 million a year from cruise, but following the launch of Onboard with Travelpack, it hopes to surpass the £15 million mark.
Through the Onboard with Travelpack platform, agents can learn about Travelpack’s 80 cruise line partners and access “enhanced” fares and products.
Head of cruise Emma Sanger-Horwell, who joined the business in April, told TTG: “I’ve been brought onboard to drive a whole new cruise strategy.
“Our aim is to be the trade’s one-stop shop for cruise. We know the likes of Cruise Plus and JTA Travel already do it, but we’re family-owned with more than 40 years’ experience.
"I feel there’s a huge knowledge gap among agents about river and expedition.”
To plug that gap, Sanger-Horwell has already hired five specialists to the Onboard with Travelpack team, which now stands at 20.
Asked how many more staff she and Travelpack director Vishal Patel would recruit, Sanger- Horwell said: “The recruitment drive is going to continue.
"We want to give agents impartial advice about the cruise sectors – particularly the river and expedition sectors – and offer them enhanced rates, and then package it all up together.”
Travelpack has launched a dedicated online cruise platform for agents (Credit: Travelpack)
To support the brand’s launch, Sanger-Horwell and her team have created a closed Facebook group called Onboard with Travelpack – Agents, which offers exclusive deals, product information and incentives.
Agent members will also be able to access a cruise directory. Travelpack claims this “first- of-its-kind” tool will “deliver extensive product information” and ultimately help agents sell more of its cruise partners.
Patel added: “The launch of Onboard with Travelpack is a direct, strategic response to record demand. This is the first of several new brands we’ll be unveiling.”
