WorldCruise.cn, an online cruise travel platform catering to Chinese-speaking travelers and agents worldwide, has announced the launch of its new website.
The bilingual site provides information from more than 60 cruise lines, real-time booking capabilities and opportunities for education. This announcement comes on the heels of recent statistics published by CLIA, pointing to accelerated growth of the Chinese cruise market with 52 ships providing 1,065 Asian cruises and capacity of more than 2 million passengers.
Dwain Wall, formerly senior vice president, travel agency and trade relations at CLIA, had joined WorldCruise.cn as co-president and COO toward the end of last year.
“The Chinese cruise market is rapidly expanding but that said, there is tremendous untapped potential,” said Wall. “Until now, there has yet to be one comprehensive online resource for Chinese-speaking travelers, and agents, providing information, education and real-time travel planning capabilities.”
The WorldCruise.cn website officially launched in beta form in late December. The site is now officially operational, though it will continue to evolve with the addition of new inventory and capabilities. WorldCruise.cn – which is available in English and complemented by a Chinese-language affiliate site, ylly.com – provides consumers a portal for searching cruise itineraries, pricing and availability. In addition, the site allows for the complete planning of cruise vacations, including the ability to book shore excursion and pre- or post-travel packages, as well as research and FAQs on travel products, ship reviews, destination backgrounders and limited-time special offers.
A B2B travel agency version of WorldCruise.cn is currently in development and will cater to Chinese travel agents. That site will serve as a solution for agents, streamlining the cruise booking process and adding capabilities for agencies who engage in ship charters. Agents will be able to load partial or full-ship charters – primarily departures from one of 16 home ports in China – into the site’s inventory, opening up their group space to other agents and travelers. This feature is intended as a tool for agencies who hold charter space and will provide charter operators a way to market their product to the over 3 million Chinese agents in China.
The charter management solution will have a back-end reporting system, as well, allowing charter operators to manage availability in real-time and helping them manage yield. The system will create a way for agents to manage blocked space, availability and pricing, but it vastly increases overall earning potential, allowing agents to book their clients into space blocked and posted by others.
Visit www.WorldCruise.cn