Hi everybody, welcome to TTI Module 4, Tour and Cruise. My name is Amanda and I'm one of the facilitators here at the Flight Centre Travel Academy. I've worked in the travel industry since 2011 and what I love about it is that no matter what company you work for or what role you have, we're actually a huge community of like-minded people here to support each other. Before we get started, let's review the outcomes of this module.
This module will help you achieve the following outcomes from Blackboard. Describe the evolution of the global tourism sector, explain and apply the appropriate use of specialised tourism sector destination knowledge, and identify and describe contemporary trends for emerging travel and tourism products and markets. To be able to achieve these outcomes, please ensure that you are participating in the live tutorial. reading and watching the essential resources and completing the learning activities and discussion forums for module four. This module should be completed by the end of week eight.
Information from this module will be included in your next quiz, which is assessment 1B, and it will actually contain valuable information to help you with assessment two and three as well. They are due in weeks 14 and 17. In module four, You will be learning some terminology specific to the touring and cruise sectors, the different types of tour and cruises, popular destinations, the evolution of the sector, and some of the trends making an impact. The first half of this module is all about tours, actually my favourite way to travel. So what I want to do to start off with is just take a second and think about the first thing that comes to mind when you think of touring.
Okay, so I know it's not all positive. Being an ex-die-hard FIT traveller and probably experiencing some of the worst things that can go wrong, this is what I think of now. I think door-to-door, hassle-free, no stress, safety, value for money, learning about the history and culture along the way, making friends, having amazing experiences.
Being able to be advised on the best things to do and see. And probably the most important thing, getting the most out of the time that I have. But like I said, that's not what everybody thinks about.
And honestly, before I did my first tour, it's not what I thought of. Some people think being crammed in a coach, being herded around like cattle, and not having time to see anything. Some people think party bus or only for oldies.
And while a tour won't fit everyone's needs, there's so much more to touring than just the coach. In fact, there are many, many, many different styles of touring these days, from large group multi-country to your small group in-depth regional tours. And although people think they won't see as much, in my personal experience, you actually end up seeing, doing and learning way more just because you have that guide with all the knowledge with you. Plus, added bonus, you're not spending time getting to and from public transport, getting lost, or trying to find a car park.
After I joined the travel industry, I learned about all the experiences and highlights tour companies have in the places I'd already been, and I had a devastating realization. I actually missed out so much. In Blackboard, guys, is a Contiki video where Jem, Contiki's sales representative, not only highlights Contiki, but also delves further into this myth busting, I think it's a great watch. This slide explains some of the terminology commonly used in the tour sector.
You can pause and read through these or look at the PowerPoint in the resources section of Blackboard. I'm going to elaborate on a few and give some examples. So blackout dates.
Blackout dates is the day a tour is not operating. An example of this is the Inca Trail in Peru, which you may not know, but it's closed every February. So there will be zero tours that will include the Inca Trail hike able to be booked during that month.
This could also be a day tour that may not run due to an event being on, or they just may not ever have a Monday departure. Gratuities. That's a sum of money paid to the tour guide or driver at the end of the tour. In other words, a tip.
It isn't something we think about in Australia, but some tours do have this. In the Australian market, there is often the option to prepay these at the time of booking, which I always recommend doing because then you don't have to think about it at the end of the trip. Some companies do have a no tip policy where guides and drivers cannot accept tips. Guaranteed. So guaranteed refers to guaranteed departure.
If it's a guaranteed tour, the tour will take place regardless of passenger numbers. These will usually be marked in the brochure with a special symbol and as minimum passenger numbers are met, additional departure dates will change to guaranteed on the company's website. Okay, so the reason it's important is that non-guaranteed tours can be cancelled if they don't reach minimum passenger numbers. If possible, I always book a guaranteed departure because there's nothing worse than everything being set, then the tour's cancelled and you have to scramble to rearrange a whole itinerary.
I actually have had this happen to myself. I had a trip booked from Mexico to Guatemala via Belize. Now, guys, it was my own fault.
I booked this whole thing myself when I was a travel agent. So I was silly enough to book a non-refundable flight. And of course, I was in a panic trying to find any tour that would match up with my flights because they couldn't be changed.
I ended up with a completely different itinerary. So still in the same region, but it was through Mexico and Guatemala, but no Belize. Had I been able to change my arrival flight to one day earlier, I would have been able to actually do a similar itinerary. So with that in mind, if you aren't booking a guaranteed departure, I would always book a flexible flight and accommodation around the tours, just in case.
All right, single supplement. Single supplement is a surcharge, payable if the passenger wants their own room. So most tour prices are based on twin share. If somebody wants their own room, they can actually just pay a small fee and be able to get that.
So on most tours, if you're traveling on your own, you'll be just paired up with someone on the tour of the same sex. The price to get your own room won't be double the twin share rate for the tour, it's just going to be the extra charges for the accommodation on the tour. Okay, guys, do you remember Thomas Cook from Module 2?
So he started the first group tour package in 1841. And while it was revolutionary for the time, tours have definitely evolved since they first began to meet customers'changing wants and needs. And tour companies continuously keep adding more options to capture the market. There are now accommodation options for all, from camping to hostels to hotels. And even within hotels, You can be on a budget hotel tour or a luxury one.
So although most people think large groups when they think tours, there are actually plenty of small group options now too. And those guys use minivans to get into places coaches can't and are known for being more local and authentic. They're also in niche and specialty tours. So I think these are pretty cool. Companies will run active tours and they won't even have a coach sometimes or a minivan.
They're going to use hiking, walking or cycling as the transport. I mean, it's not for me, but it's definitely a pretty cool way to do a tour. There are family tours, culinary tours, World War tours, photography tours. Guys, the list is endless.
I even did a ski music festival tour through the French Alps. So I got to see some sights, had days of snowboard and I went to a music festival as well as part of it. Pretty cool, hey?
For those of you that don't want to feel rushed, there are leisurely tours now. So companies offer later starts and two or more night stops. So if someone doesn't want to feel rushed and just as if they're ticking off as many places as possible, spending two nights gives at least one full day in the destination. Even a regional touring is a great leisurely option. I personally love this style of touring.
They are more relaxed and you get... less time traveling and more time seeing things along the way. For instance, I had to adjust the Amalfi Coast in Italy. In a day, we traveled from Rome to Sorrento, which is a two and a half hour drive. And we had time to stop off in Pompeii for a couple of hours and visit a small town along the way.
And we still arrived in Sorrento very early. Now, imagine that versus if you're traveling, say, between Venice and Munich, which is a six hour drive. It's a very different experience. Okay, guys, so people choose a tour based on one of three main reasons.
Based on the type of tour. So they might want to see as many countries as possible. Or they might want to be in a small group only. Or maybe they're just loyal to a brand and they'll just slowly go through the tools that they offer.
They will choose it on an experience. Do they want to hike? Have a culinary experience?
See wildlife? History? Or want to party? Or they'll choose it on a destination.
Is there a particular place they want to go to? Or a site they want to see? There are endless types of tours available, but I'm going to take you through the most popular types. A large group tour is usually on a large coach and is between 30 to 50 passengers. Most people think of your big European trip here when they're thinking of these, but they can also just be a day trip from say Vegas to the Grand Canyon.
These tours are organized and structured and they have a fair few inclusions. Okay, so they usually include breakfast each day of the trip. They usually include a few day trips. but they usually don't include lunch because you can be out exploring and not want to meet up for lunch. And they usually include a few dinners, especially in locations where there aren't many dining options or if there's a memorable dining option.
For instance, I did a tour through Greece where we went to this restaurant. It was about 30 minutes away from the town and it was like up in the beautiful countryside, up on a hill. It was absolutely spectacular.
It would actually have been pretty impossible or very expensive to me to get there on my own. They had a band playing. It was playing traditional music.
Nonna came out and made us a traditional Greek dinner. It was absolutely amazing. We learned some Greek dancing and we finished it off by smashing plates. It was an unforgettable experience.
So people don't necessarily want to eat dinner with a Greek every night. But for something special like that, nobody wants to miss out. Let's go through some of the companies. So Top Deck and Contiki, you might know them.
They target the 18 to 30 somethings market. They both offer a variety of accommodation from camping to hostels to hotels to appeal to all the different budgets and customer needs. There are luxury brands of inside vacations, APT and scenic tours. They offer five-star hotels or above and they usually have a lot more inclusions and they're aimed at the senior market.
Then we've got Globus and Trafalgar. They use four to five star hotels and are aimed at the over 40s market. However, they're also very well known for family tours. And I found if you have a multi-generational all adult family traveling together, they're going to choose Trafalgar or Globus because they actually do appeal to a wider audience. Small group touring.
So small group touring is usually six to 14 passengers. They tend to go off the beaten track and have local guides. And remember, I told you they're in those little small minivans. The most popular companies are G Adventures and the Intrepid Group, which is comprised of Intrepid and Peregrine. They both are socially conscious companies and I would say are aimed at those that are a little bit more adventurous.
However, it is worth noting that both companies range in accommodation from your camping to your much, much more luxurious options. Peregrine even have what they call feature stays and the one I think is pretty cool is in India it's a 15th century fortified palace. Homestays are also very frequently found on these itineraries so they give you the option to live like a local a bit. Both companies are very heavily invested in the niche market and they even have family trips and youth exclusive trips with the age cutoffs like Top Deck and Contiki.
Although I have to say from my own experience Even if you've got someone in the youth market, I love going on the all-ages one because the oldies that travel with these brands have the best stories and end up being everybody's favourites. All right, let's watch a quick video from Trafalgar. What makes up the good life someone asked me long ago? Is it money or fame that classifies? I said politely no.
It ain't no loss for love. Take time out in the heat to connect with friends and family and good people that we meet. Experience the moment.
Let go and just be free. Kick it back around the world. Excellent.
What do you think about that, guys? I personally love watching videos and sharing customers'videos if it's a short, sharp, snappy one. It really does paint a picture of what it's like to travel with our company and even being in a destination.
So let's get into the emerging types of tours. So eco tours focus on sustainable travel. As ecotourists, the goal is to visit with the well-being of the nature and the local community in mind.
So remember guys, it's not just all about nature, it's about the local community as well. Adventure covers a lot and it could be cycling, walking, hiking or even a safari. Culinary tours, they actually vary depending on the region or the tour company as well.
So they could include getting your hands dirty and having lots of cooking classes. or they could focus on just fine dining experiences. Family tours stay at family friendly hotels and they have family friendly activities. So kids have other kids to play with and for the adults, they have other parents to have a glass of wine with.
Most non-family tours have a minimum age of 18. So this is definitely a great option for families with the younger kids. Festivals and events. So this one here is Holi Festival in India, which is a cultural festival, but it also could be a sporting event or a music festival.
One festival I've always dreamt of going to is Uphelia. So Uphelia is a Viking fire festival where you party and burn a Viking ship down to the ground. Pretty cool, hey?
And then you've got your cultural. So these tours focus on learning about the culture and the region and really immersing yourself into the community. All right, remember the other reason someone might choose a tour is based on the destination.
So they might choose it on the destination for a variety of reasons. Is it on their bucket list? Did they see an Instagram post that inspired them? They might have a specific site they want to see. They might want to see a specific animal or hike a specific mountain.
Their grandparents might be from that country. The weather can be a massive factor. They might be escaping to a warmer climate or even going to see the snow.
Or let's face it, they just might even want to party. So it is important to understand the customer's motivation to be able to deliver the correct recommendations. We'll talk a little bit more about motivation in Module 5. Just for now, I'm going to give you an overview of each region, but I encourage you to research the top sites, attractions and activities in these regions on your own.
So if I were you. Right from the beginning, I would start making a document and slowly building on the information. It's going to be a great resource for you moving forward in the travel industry.
So let's go through these. Southeast Asia. So Southeast Asia is a budget-friendly region with a variety of experiences. It's popular for your flop and drop holidays, as well as your adventure seekers. It has a tropical climate, warm, or let's face it, hot all year round.
Rich culture. gorgeous beaches and wonderful food and of course low prices. Africa is very popular for the wildlife experiences so usually the number one reason for travelers to visit Africa is to embark on a wildlife safari or climb Mount Kilimanjaro. South America is popular with the history buffs and adventure seekers alike. It's jam-packed with ancient history, the landscapes are some of the most beautiful in the world.
And there are many, many unique wildlife and hiking experiences. So it's most famous for the Amazon and Machu Picchu. Europe. Oh, God.
Europe is loaded with the most must-see sights out of every region of the world. So remember, it's got like the Eiffel Tower, Berlin Wall, Colosseum. They're just a few. So Europe is full of rich history with ruins, churches, varied cuisines and cultural experiences. But of course, it's also very well known in Australia as a party destination.
North America is varied and it's more than just the United States, guys. So you have your beautiful beaches and your ruins in Mexico, as well as unique cities, snowboarding and stunning national parks in both Canada and the USA. All right, let's get practical. So this is an image of a top deck itinerary. Something you might see in one of their brochures or online.
Customers love to look at pictures of their potential trip and see where they'll be going. Brochures and websites are a popular visual tool that you can use with your customer. I'm going to take you through how to read these and what to look out for. So before we get started, if you're selling a tour or anything really, it's really, really important to know that you cannot know everything off the top of your head.
Even when I worked as a sales representative for Intrepid, I did not know every tour. I did not know every destination off the top of my head. It is impossible. The most important thing you can learn is where to look for the information and to understand what you're looking at. So right here, this tour is called Discover Europe.
It's 34 days of traveling from London to London and visiting 17 countries. If you don't know anything about the region, the bottom paragraph is going to do all the selling for you. And if you need to know about a particular city, the itinerary will go into more detail. When we're looking at the map, you'll see a key at the top.
As you can see, any of the numbers in the circles means you stay in that location, and the number indicates the number of nights stayed. If there's a circle without a number, that means that you'll stop there. There's something actually pretty cool to see at that site, at that destination. You'll see the site, but you won't stay overnight.
The lines on the map connect the cities, and you'll see on them there's a little arrow. This is the direction of travel. outside of London this trip is going through Paris first and Amsterdam last. Let's have a look at the Topdeck website and we'll see what information we can find.
This is Topdeck's website and I've just opened up one of their tours, the Mega European. So it's 49 days and it covers 19 countries. The trip overview is going to give you a little bit of information about what they're going to be seeing on that trip.
Down here we've got some pictures to inspire the customer and really get them thinking about being there. If we click into what's included, these are the things that are included in the tour at no extra cost, with your accommodation and your transport type used as well. And then a bit further down, you've got all the optional activities with the cost for all of these in the local currency, so they know before they go. If you don't know what there is to do in a particular place, you can always...
click here into the itinerary and expand. This is going to give you an overview of what the customer might experience in Paris, as well as if there's any meals included and optional extras as well. Remember, you don't need to know everything, but if a customer asks you a question and you don't know the answer, there's always going to be somewhere to find it. This itinerary is a little bit different.
there are no arrows on the itinerary. This means that the tour can go in either direction. But if you read the description, the one we are looking at travels from Los Angeles to New York.
But without any arrows, it means that there's actually going to be another tour from New York to Los Angeles. This itinerary has something interesting about it. You'll notice there are pictures of planes, trains and boats on it. These indicate that on that leg of travel, this form of transport is used.
So if you look at the first leg in Thailand between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, the mode of transport is an overnight train. And in Vietnam between Nha Trang and Hoi An, passengers will be traveling by plane. Remember, you don't have to know everything.
You just need to know where to look. In module two, we covered the evolution of the travel industry. And now we're going to cover the evolution of the tour industry.
It starts at the Grand Tour in the Middle Ages. Which, if you remember, is kind of like the modern day Gap year, but only for the elite and only for the men. In March 1910, Grayline starts operating cities sightseeing in major U.S. cities. A young restaurateur by the name of Louis Bush refurbished an old Mack truck chassis, painted it blue and gray, and began offering sightseeing tours around the city of Washington, D.C. It later expanded into other cities within America, including New York, Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, as well as internationally.
to Toronto and Havana. Trafalgar Tours starts operating out of London in 1947 and it's one of the most known touring companies with over 5 million satisfied customers. The 1960s recognized significant growth of organized coach tours through European and North American set itineraries.
The mid-1980s saw coach touring expand into new destinations. using new technology with a focus on seeing as much as possible. These see as much as possible tours are great for the first time travellers or those wanting to tick off as many destinations on that bucket list possible even to today. The late 2000s saw demand for a variety of variety and flexibility and specialised tours. As travellers become more savvy, educated and more adventurous, the non-traditional tour destinations start actually emerging here.
So Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. It's not just about Western Europe anymore. Mini tours are introduced in the 2010s and become popular overviews of destinations.
And around 2015, tour operators are innovating to deliver specialized and diverse tours or niche tours, as we call it, as previously mentioned. So you can read all about the evolution. of youth touring in the resource section.
The article is called the Contiki Tour as you once knew it is dead by groundwater. So tours have adapted to meet customer demands over the years. The major ones include sustainability, technology, flexible and leisurely itineraries, more options for accommodation to meet everybody's needs and tours that focus on one to two destinations. rather than see as many countries as possible in a short time frame.
I want you to take a moment and have a think about what your predictions are for the future. These are the examples of some current trends in the sector. So more immersive experiences.
So tours have evolved from getting off the bus, looking at the site, taking a picture, to more of a hands-on approach, such as cooking demonstrations. traveling the way the locals do by tuk-tuk or local rail and staying in unique boutique accommodation as opposed to the chain hotels giving back to local communities so tours are including more community-based activities like visiting schools and helping with education or crafts or even helping out with the veggie gardens that help feed the communities taking the path less traveled so going to that new and off the beaten track location There are more emerging destinations that are becoming popular rather than the usual popular destinations. Family groups. So companies such as Trafalgar, Intrepid and G Adventures offer those specialty tours for families that I mentioned. They might get a better discount for kids.
They might give more family time and include more activities that kids might enjoy. So not death by museum. Adventure style.
So these focus on. adventure or adrenaline activities such as hiking, cycling, trekking, you name it. Female empowerment can be one of two styles. It could be female-only tours, which include a component of specific interest for females, such as a specific art or history, or it could be more socially driven, such as supporting gender equality programs. The GOAT, or greatest of all trips.
So as a globe trekker, one seeks a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But considering the pandemic, the desire or the wish to have such an experience has shot up like crazy. It involves searching for breathtaking trips and destinations with the desire to go big without any regrets.
Flexible booking conditions, again, largely due to the pandemic. People are seeking a more flexible booking condition for peace of mind. should they have to cancel last minute meaningful trouble creating positive change So travel provides an opportunity for connection. It always has. It means working together towards a common goal or project, which can really inspire a sense of togetherness.
Some group travel will engage in volunteer activities, aka we call that voluntourism. So these could be helping build a school, protecting endangered species, or giving back to local communities. If you haven't already done so, please watch the video in the resources for this module.
Dan is the Top Tech Sales representative and is very passionate and informative. As with many sectors of the travel industry, there are governing bodies. The Council of Australia Tour Operators is the governing body for the tour sector for Australia. This website, it could be particularly useful for Assessment 3 if you choose the tour sector.
The next half of this module is all about. the cruise sector. Take a second to think about the first thing that comes into your mind when you think cruising. Some people, whether they've done it or not, it appeals to them. Some people, if they've done it or not, it just doesn't appeal to them.
Think about some of the reasons why you think someone wouldn't be interested in a cruise. Some people think they will be trapped on a ship. What I think about is all the activities and facilities on the ship.
Some ships you won't even have time to do everything that's on it. Plus, have a think about not having to be in and out of airports. So you can visit multiple destinations without all that hassle.
How good is it to be able to relax and experience a ship between destinations rather than flying or driving? Also, total added bonus, I only have to unpack and pack up once rather than every time I'm changing hotels to go to a new destination. Some people think...
It's just for families or just for oldies. But what you might not know is there's actually a ship designed for every type of traveler. It's all about choosing the right one.
Some people worry about seasickness. And yes, it's an issue for some, but there are medications, both natural and pharmaceutical, and even pressure point wristbands. And guys, that's what I use.
I call them my magic wristbands. And for some reason, they work. Plus, if you didn't already know, these days, ships have...
excellent stabilization technology. So for those that are worried, I would suggest a three-day cruise to nowhere to try it out as their first cruise, and then they can actually see how it is for them. Some people think they're expensive, but take a second to think about if you factor in all the shows, all the food, all the accommodation, and your transport to destinations, cruising ends up actually being the best value for money.
Some cruises cost less than a return flight would just to get to the destination. What I also like about cruises is everybody on that ship is there for a holiday. So everybody's there to have a good time. So it makes it easy to meet people. For a group holiday, people can spend time together and apart and easily meet up.
And if you're the only one that wants to do trivia, there's plenty of people to do it with other than your friends. For those of you that haven't cruised before, as with tours, there can be hesitation based on people's assumptions. This slide explains some of the terminology commonly used in the cruise sector.
You can pause and read through these or take a look at the PowerPoint in the resources section of Blackboard. I'm going to elaborate on a few and give some examples. So first up I'm going to teach you a few tricks to remember the So it's actually important to know these because a customer might want a particular room in a particular section of the ship. They may say they want to be aft port.
So what does that mean? Aft is like the back of the ship. It's like the arse of the ship.
Bow is the front as in you bow forwards. Port and starboard are left and right. So port is remembered by thinking there's no port left so it's to the left.
Or you can also remember it because it has four letters and so does left. Cruise tour is a land and sea combo vacation. So a really good example of this would be in Canada and Alaska where you can do the Rocky Mountaineer in Canada which is the train and it's packaged together with some coach travel and an Alaskan cruise. Another very popular example is a river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest in Europe which is combined with a coach tour that covers off some of the other areas of Europe.
What's this other safety demonstration? They're a bit different since COVID. So these days you watch a video in your cabin and you just go to the muster station to be ticked off.
Open seating is when you dine with no assigned tables. It's great for when you don't know when you want to eat. So with assigned seating, you have a set time to dine out. Not having set dining times really appeals to many cruisers, as your preferences can vary from day to day. You may have slept in, had a late breakfast, late lunch, and then you can have a late dinner.
Or you might be absolutely famished because you skipped lunch while you were doing a short excursion, and you just want to eat dinner straight away. The flexibility and range of dining options makes it really easy to live in the moment on a cruise. Tenders are the small boat that transport passengers from the ship to the shore when the harbour isn't deep enough for the ship. It's important to know that people with disabilities may have issues getting into tenders so you need to be able to step into the tenders.
So if you have someone in a wheelchair it's better to look at options with more ports and less tenders. This is important if you're choosing the cruise scenario and assessment too. So think about that. Pre-COVID, the cruise sector was experiencing significant growth, especially for the Australian traveller. And good news, it is bouncing back.
Cruises have come a long way in terms of development with more facilities, activities and entertainment on board, which really appeal to the Australian market. You can read more about this in the show notes. the world of cruising by Dowling and Whedon in the resources section. Cruises can be divided into three types. You have your ocean cruising which is the most popular and they're basically your big floating cities.
They're a resort at sea with anywhere between 1200 and 6000 passengers on board the ship. They're popular for all ages and all interests and they are very popular with multi-generation families traveling together. since they aim at offering experiences for every generation.
Ocean cruisers have activities for all ages, for example, trivia, world-class shows, water slides, rock climbing walls, nightclubs, hot tubs, gyms, spa treatments, kids clubs, adult-only areas. Guys, I could go on. So as I said earlier, there is a ship for everyone, and there are ships aimed at partying, ships aimed for families, and ships specifically designed with the older generation in mind.
It's all about having that conversation and finding the right cruise ship and the right itinerary for the customer. River cruising has become more popular over the last 10 years, with the most popular region being Europe on the Danube and Rhine rivers. However, we do see river cruising in Egypt and China as well. With only 100 to 250 guests on board, river cruising is more intimate and is very service orientated, and it's usually geared towards that higher end of the market. They operate mainly in the summer months in Europe, although you can do specialty Christmas market departures.
River cruising offers the chance to visit highlight cities as well as those lesser known ports around the world. Expedition cruise ships tend to look more like research vessels and they're aimed at experiencing the destinations. They are much nicer than I would imagine a real research vessel to be, often with bars, libraries and entertainment areas, but they're not going to have everything an ocean cruiser would have.
What they do have on board is experts. So, for example, when travelling with Intrepid to Antarctica, they have educational lectures on history, geology and wildlife by scientific experts. And they even have a departure with World Wildlife Fund scientists on board sharing their insights into wild conservation while they conduct cutting-edge research.
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule and we're starting to see more ships that are marketed towards that higher end of the market with more modern conveniences. Let's take a moment to watch this video from Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean is a market leader of the Megalynas. Take note of the ship, the size of it, the features, the activities that they have on board.
Seven nights would not be enough to explore this entire ship. so you The most popular cruise lines in Australia are P&O, Princess and Carnival, who are here all year round. And then during the wave season, which is our peak summer season, we have Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity and Cunard. After this time, those guys reposition their ships to the northern hemisphere for their summer. So this is when you could do a repositioning cruise, for example.
Sydney to Hawaii with Royal Caribbean as they get ready for their American summer. Different cruise companies cater to different demographics. For example, Holland America and Princess generally attract that older demographic, whereas Carnival, P&O and Royal Caribbean have a broad customer appeal, attracting families, couples, singles and seniors. The reason that this happens is because there's plenty of activities for the adults, teenagers and kids on board.
Popular routes in Australia include the East Coast and your short cruises including one stop like Brisbane to the Whitsundays or Melbourne to Tasmania. The three-day cruise to nowhere is also very popular. Over the next few slides we're going to talk about the different regions and I want you to take note of the trends especially if you're planning to cover a cruise trend in assessment 2 or 3. New Zealand is a very popular place for cruising. You can even do a cruise from Australia to New Zealand. New Zealand has spectacular coastlines and a highlight when you're going there is Milford Sound with steep mountains on each side and impressive waterfalls as well.
The South Pacific is the most popular region from Australia. The water is clear, the temperatures are warmer year-round, So it'll be of no surprise to you that it's popular to travel to this region to escape the cold in Australia. You would at least need seven nights to do the South Pacific. With Hawaii being made up of eight major islands, cruising is a great way to get around and see them all. Alaska is most popular for the inside passage.
So this unique cruise has spectacular unspoiled nature, glaciers, wildlife. and opportunities to explore remote towns only accessible by plane or boat. Cruising the Mediterranean is a great way to see the coastal towns of Europe. This region is full of history, culture, and culinary experiences. The Caribbean is extremely popular from the United States.
It's the most popular cruising destination in the world. So you can see more about that in the Cruise Lines International Association resource in Blackboard. The most popular river cruise travels between Amsterdam and Budapest, down the Danube and Rhine Rivers.
A lot of companies package this up to be the cruise tour we talked about earlier, offering a variety of options to suit customers'needs. The most popular brands we sell in Australia are Scenic, APT, Avalon and Uniworld. They all offer a luxury river cruise experience, but each has a unique selling point.
Remember, the unique selling point is what sets them apart from each other. For example, Scenic has a personal butler service and Avalon has floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows. Let's watch this video on Uniworld. It really does paint a picture on what kind of luxury you can expect on a river cruise. Apart from the popular cruise lines listed for expedition cruising, it's important to note that many of the adventure brands like Intrepid and G Adventures also have expedition cruises.
The most popular destinations are Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands. For Antarctica, passengers will be on a large expedition ship specifically designed to withstand the harsh environment of Antarctica. During the day passengers will get off into those small zodiacs you can see in the picture and be able to explore the land and have wildlife encounters.
For the Galapagos, the ships are much smaller and are designed to travel around the many small islands. This region is all about the wildlife both on the land and at sea. Trips to this region will include many walks, water activities and it's the aim is to see as much wildlife as possible in its natural habitat. A lot has happened in the industry over the years. Some of the key points are, in 1840, Cunard inaugurated regular mail services across the Atlantic.
The main focus of cruising in the beginning was destination voyage, from one place to another as a means of transport. P&O started as a shipping and logistics company as a competitor to Cunard's mail service. In 1844, the first leisure cruise from P&O departed from Southampton to the Mediterranean. This first cruise is the precursor to modern day cruising as we experience it today. Quaker City started as a civil warship, but it's actually recognised as the first American mass scale tourism departure.
The journey was from New York to Egypt. It was an excursion to the Holy Land over six months. This next one you guys should recognize.
In 1912, the RMS Titanic sank on her maiden voyage in the Atlantic Ocean. After the Titanic sunk, a number of changes were made, specifically around safety. These included the routes taken, raising bulkhead levels, the stabilization systems, and in addition, of course, more lifeboats.
In 1940, Cunard's Queen Elizabeth ship was launched. It was the largest passenger ship. ever built at the time.
In the early 1950s, with the launch of commercial airline travel across the Atlantic, the cruise industry started to take a focus on other regions. Founded in 1966, Norwegian Caribbean Lines, now the third largest cruise line in the world, began operating three to four day cruises around the Caribbean. This one's a fun one. I don't know if you guys are going to even know about this show. But Princess Cruise Lines began in 1965 and it became famous for the setting for the Love Boat TV show.
This actually brought the idea of cruising into people's homes and the demand soared worldwide. In the mid-1900s, Australian cruise market expands as new ships enter the market. More cruise lines started cruising out of Australia.
Then new dining varieties started to expand from those set menus to the flexible ones we talked about. It's no longer just the dining room. Now there are more restaurants and more options, including fine dining restaurants on board at amazing prices.
In the 2000s, cruise lines are innovating with activities, facilities, duration and comfort levels to meet the market demand. There's also a focus on fitness and a move into specialty arts, shows and comedians. In recent years, we've seen more of those three to four night cruises on offer.
Some are things such as 80s or comedy, and they're often cruising to nowhere or just to the single destination. Other developments have been technology, drinks packages. So these could be alcohol included or just a soft drinks package, your mega liners and smaller niche cruises. And of course, COVID had a massive impact on cruising.
What I'm trying to get across here is if you did a cruise in the 80s, it looks a million times different now. So have a think about your predictions for the future. Now let's talk some of the trends and developments of the cruise industry.
Some of these include Instagrammable cruise travel. So Instagram photos are driving interest in travel around the world and cruising is no different. Your total restoration.
People are exhausted. And we're seeking ways now to check out from that daily responsibility and rejuvenate more than we ever did before. Cruise lines are responding by offering total wellness in the form of restorative spa experiences, onboard oxygen bars, healthy menu choices and the latest in fitness innovations. Some cruises even have seminars about health, fitness or beauty topics. And some have specialised services such as personal trainers, nutritionists and even teeth whitening.
You can even just book a special wellness-only cruise. We'll talk more about the wellness trend in Module 6, and in Assessment 3, you might choose one of the wellness trends in the cruise industry. Achievement travel. So bucket lists have become goal orientated and cruise lines are meeting these demands. Passengers can conquer Machu Picchu or complete culinary workshops hosted by Le Cordon Bleu chefs.
Onboard smart tech. Cruise lines have adopted technology for cruise travellers in order to provide a highly personalised travel experience while on and off the ship. They now have apps so you can see what's happening on board, book for restaurants. and chat to other people on board without having to purchase the internet. You can, of course, purchase Wi-Fi on board ships, which is great for those that want to immediately be part of that share stage of the customer journey that we talked about in module one.
And this even allows people to take cruises as part of a workcation. So that's where you work and vacation at the same time. A great example of this is the personalization tech that Princess Cruises is using with the medallion wearable tech. personalized attention.
Specifically, your medallion will unlock your stateroom doors, as well as enable payment around the ship, wagering in the casino, and so much more. The medallion is waterproof, heat, sand, and salt resistant, and requires no charging. And it's easy to wear.
Just slip it into your complimentary lanyard and wear it throughout your voyage. Or select from an assortment of accessories that come in a wide range of styles and price points. that are sure to accommodate everyone's preferences. Clip, sports band, pendant, or bracelet that you can pre-purchase when you get ocean ready or at ocean front once on board.
For stateroom access, approach your cabin door portal with your medallion. As you near, the door portal will securely validate your access and unlock your cabin. From there, just turn the handle and walk right in. It's that easy. Be sure to visit the Medallion Class YouTube channel.
For more tips on the Medallion Class experience. How amazing is that for new technology? What I actually like about it that wasn't in the video is you can turn on your location. So if your location is on, you can actually find your friends and you can also order a drink from anywhere on the ship and they can bring it directly to where you are. So there is a longer video which deep dives into all the features of the medallion if you're interested in watching it.
Access is the new luxury. So travellers are setting sights on destinations that were previously out of reach. So these include the Galapagos Islands, North Pole and Antarctica. Off-peak adventures are rising in popularity.
Cruising offers some once-in-a-lifetime experiences during the colder months, including excursions to see the Northern Lights, expedition cruises to visit a penguin colony, and even touring European Christmas markets. Female empowerment. Many companies are creating female-centred itineraries now, connecting women with other women. There was even a cruise in the UK that was the first female-only cruise. Going solo.
So guys, I don't mean single, I don't mean, you know, a singles cruise, but just traveling on your own, going solo. So some cruise ships have even built solo state rooms, which offer a single bed, or they offer a standard room with no single supplement. Norwegian Cruise Line also offers meetups for those traveling alone to make it easier to make friends, as well as lounges off the single rooms to make connections easily with other solo travelers.
Destination. So North America remains the largest source market with other markets going rapidly. Because America is the largest source market, the Caribbean remains the top cruise destination.
Millennials are the most enthusiastic cruisers of the future. So in previous years, the average age of cruise tourist was 48 years old. However, when passengers were asked if they plan to cruise again, 85% of millennials are. planning their next cruise compared to only 82% of Gen Xers. You can read all about this and other trends in the resource by Cruise Lines International Association.
Sustainable practices. The cruise industry is more conscientious than ever, working with local destinations, local cultures and landmarks to minimise environmental footprints. We have a whole subject on sustainable tourism coming up in future semesters.
In the resource section you'll find some videos with Sam from Royal Caribbean. She talks about some of these trends including technology and sustainability and I would definitely suggest watching them for more insight. If you haven't already done so, please watch the video in the resources for this module.
Richard is P&O's sales representative and is very, very passionate and informative. CLIA, the Cruise Line International Association, I've mentioned them throughout this, is the unified global organisation helping members succeed by advocating, educating and promoting the interests of the cruising community. They work with over 50 cruise lines and 1500 travel agencies.
This may be a very helpful resource if you're going to choose the cruise sector for assessment three. As always, every module has a summary, so this is a good place to come back to and review your knowledge, especially when preparing for your assessments. Also on Blackboard, please go through the resources available.
I've mentioned a few throughout this lecture. They will expand on the knowledge that we've talked about today. Have a go at the learning activities and the discussion forum activities. The learning activities will help prepare you for assessment 1B and 3. And the discussion forum will help prepare you for assessment 2 and 3. Enjoy the rest of your day and we'll see you at the module 4 live tutorial. We'll be applying this knowledge in a way that will prepare you for assessment 2.