CLIA has partnered Virgin Atlantic, Delta Air Lines and Air France/KLM for a series of upcoming events in a bid to capitalise on an uptick in demand for fly-cruise itineraries.

The airlines are part of a collective joint venture and their agreements with CLIA comprise headline sponsorship of the 2024 CLIA Conference from 23-25 May in Southampton.

Virgin Atlantic will sponsor this year’s CLIA Cruise Forum on 19 December in Windsor and Air France/KLM are the official airline partner for the CLIA RiverView 2024 Conference from 11-12 March in Amsterdam.

The airlines will have networking stands at the events, and their branding will be displayed across associated assets and online platforms.

A host of other activities with the organisation have also been agreed, including a recent webinar with all four airlines, which included brand overviews, trade-friendly advice and sales tips.

Fly-cruise continuing to increase in popularity, says CLIA UK boss

CLIA UK & Ireland managing director Andy Harmer said: “Fly cruise continues to increase in popularity for UK and Ireland guests, so our agreement with Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Air France and KLM is perfectly-timed to capitalise on this demand.

“The airlines can further increase their awareness and exposure across the industry, while agents can benefit from their extensive flight availability and expertise.”

Virgin Atlantic director of sales Nicki Goldsmith added: “We know there is huge growth opportunity within the cruise industry across mainstream, luxury and river cruise and we are confident that Virgin Atlantic, Delta Air Lines, Air France and KLM can support this growth throughout our destinations and premium product offering for all cruise customers.”

It comes after CLIA UK and Ireland added a new section to its website focussed on supporting new-to-selling cruise agents.