CLIA UK & Ireland unveiled two initiatives for travel agents at its annual conference in Southampton.

The new tools were announced to 550 delegates from across the trade and cruise industry, and inspired by the #LoveCruise theme of the 2022 conference.

The CLIA website will be expanded to add a ‘love cruise’ section, offering a practical checklist of the ways in which agents can make the most of their CLIA membership.

The section “aims to inform, educate and inspire”, the association said, “by explaining how the trade can develop cruise knowledge and grow sales”.

The content will be targeted at both experienced and newcomer agents.

In addition, the site will also include a section on sustainability, as the sector looks to achieve net zero carbon cruising by 2050.

In the near future, a series of #LoveCruise webinars will be announced, to be held in July and August. The webinars will be free for CLIA members.

CLIA UK & Ireland MD Andy Harmer said: “The energy and enthusiasm for all things cruise at this year’s conference has been genuinely inspiring.

“The trade is clearly in confident mood, so we’re pleased to be able to add to that momentum by introducing our #LoveCruise initiatives.

“On behalf of CLIA I’d like to say a huge thanks to all the delegates who attended the conference, and indeed everyone whose positivity and expertise has helped us get back on track.

“We should all feel very proud of our united approach and look to the future with real optimism.”