Announced at a gala dinner in Sydney on Saturday night, the award recognises CLIA’s extensive professional development programmes and the role it has played in fostering an expanding community of cruise-specialist travel agents. It is the second time CLIA has been awarded in this category at the NTIAs, having won previously in 2022.
CLIA managing director in Australasia Joel Katz says demand for travel agent training is at an all-time high.
‘The most successful travel agents are also the most highly trained, and so CLIA’s focus over recent years has been on developing skills and knowledge among our members so they can benefit from cruising’s global strength,’ Katz says. ‘Our online education programmes and in-person training events have attracted record levels of engagement from our agent members, and we feel honoured that this has been recognised.’
CLIA head of international training and development, Peter Kollar says the award helps acknowledge the dedication shown by Australasian travel agents.
‘The commitment our travel agent members have shown over recent years has been phenomenal and the feedback we receive shows they feel more confident selling cruise,’ Kollar says. ‘I think this award is an acknowledgement that CLIA travel agents are the best-trained and most knowledgeable cruise specialists in our region.’
