CLIA LAUNCHES NATIONAL CRUISE VACATION MONTH 2004
Nationwide Cruise Promotion will Stress Value and Expertise of CLIA-member Agencies

It’s time to celebrate! The Cruise Lines International Association’s (CLIA) National Cruise Vacation Month (NCVM) – the biggest cruise marketing and promotional campaign of the year – is back, and the 2004 version of this month-long festival of cruise vacation fun will let consumers throughout North America know that “The Best Cruise Vacations Begin With A Travel Agent.”

“Each and every year, travel agents play a key role in the continuing growth of this industry,” said Terry Dale, CLIA’s president and CEO. “The 2004 NCVM campaign will educate consumers by outlining the many benefits of booking a cruise with a CLIA-member travel agency, driving vacation prospects to CLIA’s cruise experts across the U.S. and Canada.”

The centerpiece of NCVM 2004 is a 30-market Broadcast Media Tour that kicks off Feb. 2 and continues through the end of the month. CLIA representatives will appear on a variety of local and regional radio and television programs, providing helpful advice for consumers planning a vacation, including how to locate a cruise expert using CLIA’s Web site (www.cruising.org), questions to ask travel agents and cruise vacation tips. In each interview, the CLIA expert will emphasize the knowledgeable advice provided by CLIA-member agencies and the value, quality and diversity that makes cruising the world’s greatest vacation.

NCVM 2004 will also feature extensive print media exposure stressing the “The Best Cruise Vacations Begin With A Travel Agent” message. CLIA will also offer promotional materials and marketing tips to help CLIA-member agencies capitalize on the heightened consumer awareness created by CLIA’s multi-channel marketing activities during NCVM and throughout the year. CLIA-member agencies will receive weekly e-mails announcing the cities and outlets the CLIA spokespersons will visit as well as valuable NCVM marketing tips.