CLIA Launches New Online Agent Tools and Resources on Clia’s Recently Enhanced Website

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is committed to providing travel agents with every possible membership benefit in part by taking advantage of the latest online communications technology to create new tools and resources. This is demonstrated this week with the launch of three new resources: “CLIA Vision,” a “one-stop” web link to CLIA social media sites, and a new online industry calendar providing quick access to a broad range of industry events, including those featuring CLIA training opportunities. All three are found on CLIA’s web site at www.cruising.org.

“Since its founding 35 years ago, one of CLIA’s top priorities has been to help travel agents become more professional and do their work more efficiently and profitably,” said Bob Sharak, CLIA’s executive vice president. “CLIA has so many programs available to agents, sometimes the biggest challenge is making sure that our members know and understand all that CLIA has to offer. These new resources use web and social media tools to enable our member agents to learn more about CLIA and CLIA services, engage with colleagues and prospective customers and have instant access to information about events they may want to participate in.”

Travel agents can access “CLIA Vision” by visiting the Travel Agent Center of the CLIA web site. CLIA member agents, and those agents interested in CLIA membership and programs, are welcomed by a rotating short 1 to 3 minute video featuring Sharak, Jim Smith, CLIA’s director of marketing, Gaye Stewart-Loudis, director of membership and CLIA’s Director of Training, Tom Cogan. These initial 28 videos are also cataloged within a “CLIA Vision” content area of the CLIA web site, which add up to almost 44 minutes and provide information about a wide variety of topics, including a cruise industry overview, CLIA training and Certification, membership benefits, cruise3sixty, the World’s Largest Cruise Night promotion, sales and marketing resources and more. Visitors to the site are able to access the videos of their choice by clicking on a menu of category choices.

“Different people like to receive and process communication differently,” says Sharak. Some prefer searching and finding written content on the web, some prefer, and better retain, information through the spoken word. We think “CLIA Vision” helps bridge these communication styles and is yet another tool to allow our members and member prospects to take advantage of all that CLIA has to offer. In addition to answering frequently asked questions about CLIA, CLIA training and the cruise industry, the CLIA Vision videos help agents maximize their membership benefits and provide agency owners and managers with a convenient and free method of helping their agents further their professional development,” Sharak added.

The CLIA Travel Agent Center “dashboard” on the Travel Agent welcome page also provides agents with one-stop access to CLIA’s Facebook Fan Page and YouTube content in addition to CLIA Vision simply by clicking on “Social Media” in the menu of options. This way agents can quickly log on to CLIA’s Facebook and YouTube pages without having to access these sites individually.

Similarly, agents can click on a new “Industry Events Calendar” on the Travel Agent Center page to access the CLIA Industry Calendar. This new one-stop planning resource provides all necessary information about scheduled CLIA training programs and other events as well as other industry events where CLIA training is featured. Organizations interested in being listed and which offer CLIA training as part of their event should submit their entry information to CLIA at www.cruising.org/contact-clia.