Following the success of its first iteration last year, Cruise Trade News and CLIA are once again teaming up for a special event.

On 9 October, the two organisations will join forces to host the CTN and CLIA Cruise Summit.

While the 2022 edition was focused solely on digital marketing, this version will provide key tips on how to plan for the wave season and maximise results.

The 2023 event, called ‘Maximising for Wave’, will encompass everything marketing related, from SEO, PPC, social media, content and more.

On the day, attendees can expect to hear about the latest travel trends from News UK and understand how to optimise Tiktok for a cruise audience, as well as tips on other social platforms.

A special session will also explore artificial intelligence and ChatGPT and how the cruise industry is using emerging technologies.

CLIA UK & Ireland MD Andy Harmer said: “The impact of changes in digital and technology is increasingly felt in travel, so there is a need for the whole cruise community to keep up to date with the latest changes and opportunities.

“This workshop is ideal for those looking to capitalise on these opportunities and CLIA is delighted to partner on the event.”

We speak to Adido CEO Andy Headington, who is moderating on the day, and IFF Digital head of performance Nadia Mursal, to discover what benefits they believe the event will provide.

Andy Headington

What are you most looking forward to about the event?

With more great speakers and more great stories to showcase, it’ll be a fantastic event to talk about how cruise companies have grown, how travellers have changed and how we can prepare for 2024 together.

How important are events such as these to the cruise sector?

I believe these events are hugely important to the cruise sector as they help those that attend to listen, learn and get inspiration from not only those in the sector, but also those from outside it.

It’s important for any business to stay on top of changes in technology and customer behaviour but particularly in cruise, where more and more services can be delivered online to meet a growing demand among the audience.

How can cruise make better use of digital marketing to support aspirations for 2024’s wave period?

It should really be focusing on delivering simple, fast and clear website options that inspire potential travellers into booking online.

There has been very little change in user behaviour in the last five years for most businesses but most still don’t offer the basics well enough, in my opinion.

For me, investing time into great imagery, inspirational video and written content are all crucial. Once done right, this can pay back in waves and beyond for most cruise and travel companies.

Nadia Mursal

What are you most looking forward to about this year’s event?

I am looking forward to sharing our knowledge and best practice around key digital trends and the open discussions we can have to drive the cruise industry forward.

It will also be a great opportunity to network with like-minded peers and identify key themes and shared challenges across the sector.

How is cruise marketing changing?

The cruise market now seems more accessible to people. This in turn is introducing a new demographic to the sector. The predominant demographic is still 55+ due to a high disposable income and the retirement demographic having the luxury of time.

However, don’t forget the new remote working and hybrid lifestyles that we are all becoming accustomed to.

This means our advertising should incorporate the appetites of the younger, travel-hungry demographic (tomorrow’s customers) that also loves exploring the world.