Co-operative Travel Group targets 'significant' cruise growth
The Co-operative Travel Group is targeting "significant double-digit growth" in cruise through its agents after seeing sales increase with certain cruiselines by up to 60% in the past two years.
Director of retail distribution Trevor Davis said in order to help the growth, all three of the group's retail brands - The Co-operative Travel, Midlands Co-operative and Mid-Counties Co-operative - joined the Association of Cruise Experts (ACE) at the end of August.
The move has allowed Co-operative agents from nearly 550 shops to focus on developing their product knowledge thanks to the training ACE offers.
He added: "We have the opportunity to expand our cruise business significantly. Cruise has a growing product range at a time when our brand is becoming more recognised.
"The growth in sales with certain cruiselines has been as much as 60% over the past two years; we intend to build on that."
ACE director Flo Powell welcomed the Co-operative Travel Group agents to the association, adding: "They're doing really well - they've already got some ACE-accredited members.
"Sometimes it takes a while for agents to complete the training to become accredited but they are very proactive."