CLIA partnership provides FCTG with huge opportunity in cruise sales

Celebrity Cruises cruise ship Solstice approaches Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour on a summer morning at sunrise.
Edited by Travel Weekly


Customers booking cruises with Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) consultants across all leisure brands can expect to tap into greater expertise following an agreement between FCTG and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

The agreement provides the entire FCTG consultant and independent network in Australia and New Zealand with access to CLIA’s globally recognised cruise industry training. Within each brand, cruise specialists will have the opportunity to participate in this exclusive partnership. 

This partnership will provide cruise specialists across FCTG leisure brands with the following:

1.       Personal development and training operated by CLIA.

2.       CLIA resources and toolkit access.

3.       Access to CLIA reports and insights.

4.       A CLIA profile on their system to allow clients to be directed to cruise specialists.

5.       Industry recognition as a cruise specialist.

CLIA Managing Director in Australasia Joel Katz said the FCTG agreement would add more than 3000 travel consultants to CLIA’s global cruise community.

“CLIA aims to make its members the most knowledgeable and successful cruise specialists in Australasia, so we are delighted to help build this expertise across the Flight Centre network,” Mr Katz said. “Being a part of the CLIA community gives travel consultants access to an enormous amount of knowledge, online training, resources and live events, all of which gives them greater ability to assist their clients and boost their cruise business.”

CLIA is recognised as a world leader in cruise industry training for travel consultants, so we’re very excited to have this opportunity for our travel experts to be trained by the best,” said Flight Centre Travel Group Leisure CEO James Kavanagh.

“Cruise is one of the fastest growing areas of the travel industry. As more people choose to cruise, it’s timely for us to upskill our consultants to become cruise specialists so they can offer customers the best ‘shop to ship’ service — from helping them plan their trip to securing the best deal on a cruise that suits.”

“This agreement enables FCTG leisure brands to aim for a significantly larger market share and aligns with our strategic goal of becoming a major player in the Australasian cruise sector,” said Mr Kavanagh.

Recent research by CLIA indicates that the volume of people travelling on cruises globally will exceed the pre-covid high in 2019 by 6% in 2023 and another 14% in 2024.*

*Source: CLIA Passenger Data, 2019 – 2021 and CLIA Cruise Forecast /Tourism Economics (December 2022)

Latest News

  • Famil

TravHost launches expert hosting service to transform industry famils

TravHost offers a pioneering service bridging the gap between media professionals, travel agents and tourism organisations, addressing the demand for exceptional famil hosts. Founded by seasoned travel media professionals Fiona Harper and Carolyne Jasinski, TravHost is poised to revolutionise the way tourism organisations and travel companies approach famils. With decades of experience in tourism and […]

  • Tour Operators
  • Travel Agents

Book big and bag a spot of the TTC Tour Brand’s Top Achievers’ Famil

TTC Tour Brands’ Top Achievers Famil incentive is back, rewarding top-selling agents with the chance to embark on an unforgettable trip to a destination that remains a secret – for now. Agents who have sold any Luxury Gold, Insight Vacations, Trafalgar, Costsaver and Contiki, from 1 December 2024 to 14 March 2025, go into the […]

  • Business Travel
  • Conferences

New Zealand International Convention Centre to open in February 2026

The New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) has announced it is opening its doors to New Zealand and world conferences and events in February 2026. The long-awaited NZICC is set to transform New Zealand’s conference and events industry, boosting visitation and the wider economy with its world-class facilities. Located in the heart of Auckland’s CBD, […]

  • Cruise
  • Events

AmaWaterways invites AU/NZ travel trade to An Evening with AmaWaterways events

AmaWaterways has announced the dates of its upcoming An Evening with AmaWaterways events for travel advisors, just over a year after it entered the Australian and New Zealand markets. Dedicated to travel advisors, the events will be held in six cities and will be hosted by AmaWaterways’ regional sales managers, plus feature a presentation from […]

  • Destinations
  • Tourism

Mooloolaba cruise season boosts Sunshine Coast tourism and trade

Mooloolaba is set to welcome a series of cruise ships through February and March 2025, significantly boosting local businesses and tourism to the Sunshine Coast. Their arrival is expected to create a vibrant atmosphere and provide a substantial economic uplift to the region. Viking Sky kicks off the season on Sunday 8 February, with 930 […]

  • Food & Beverage

Little Pete Brewing opens first of its kind open-air bar

Little Pete Brewing has opened a new open-air bar at 543 Step Rd, Langhorne Creek, a must-visit South Australia destination for a drink with a view. The first-of-its-kind open-air bar sits on 8ha, surrounded by vineyards and paddocks, with the Bremer River flowing nearby and framed by majestic ancient river red gums. “We always felt […]

  • Events

CENTREPIECE is set to make a splash at AIME 2025

CENTREPIECE is set to make a splash at AIME 2025 with a one-of-a-kind activation that showcases their world-class event capabilities to inspire event planners and decision-makers. CENTREPIECE is located in the heart of Melbourne & Olympic Parks, Victoria’s epicentre for live sports and entertainment and home to world-renowned venues including Rod Laver Arena, AAMI Park, […]

  • Destinations
  • Tourism

NYC Tourism + Conventions announces two exciting new events

NYC Tourism + Conventions has announced ‘NYC Off-Broadway Week 2025’ and ‘Value Family Activities’ events lined up for this year. NYC Off-Broadway Week 2025 2-for-1 ticket sales for this event have begun with this season’s program featuring 29 Off-Broadway performances, including 18 new participants. The twice-yearly program runs from 17 February through 9 March with […]

  • Events
  • Tourism

Jeju wins bid to host 2028 Asia-Pacific Microscopy Conference

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has successfully secured the 14th Asia-Pacific Microscopy Conference (APMC14) for Jeju in November 2028. This was achieved in partnership with the Korean Society of Microscopy, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju Convention Bureau, and Jeju International Convention Center. Korea was selected as the final host after strong competition at the 13th […]

  • Cruise
  • Food & Beverage

Oceania Cruises sets new standard for onboard dining: one chef for every 10 guests

Oceania Cruises, renowned for The Finest Cuisine at Sea, has set a new standard for onboard dining with an exquisite new menu evolution in The Grand Dining Room. Launching on its newest 1,200-guest ship, Allura, in July 2025, the reimagined menus introduce over 270 brand-new recipes, from curated Signature Eggs Benedict breakfast selection to a chic French […]