Silversea commits to incentive market

Silversea Cruises will step up its marketing efforts in the corporate sector after hitting records in the incentive market over the past 12 months.

Following continued success in the Asia Pacific region, Silversea Cruises has recorded more incentive bookings in the past 12 months than all corporate bookings over the past five years.

Driven by a surge in bookings from financial and franchise partners, increasing interest from new incentive groups has also driven the trend.

Speaking to The Nibbler yesterday, general manager Karen Christensen attributed the gains to new itineraries and growing awareness of the value of cruising.

However, she admitted there was still “plenty of room for improvement”, branding lagging awareness as the biggest hurdle.

“We have had a really good year in the MICE sector, but the reality is that many business types still don’t consider cruising as an option,” she said. “They are simply not aware of the value it provides.”

With the “great potential” of corporate cruising yet to be realised, Silversea will refine its marketing and advertising strategy to increase awareness among the MICE market.

Christensen confirmed a more “targeted” marketing approach was on the cards, in addition to a renewed advertising campaign to improve awareness of the value of cruising. Co-branded marketing would also play a key role, she added.

“Our goal is to get a consistent message across and commit to a dedicated marketing campaign in the MICE market,” she said. “It takes time for your presence to be known, and while we are getting there, we still have some way to go.”