Scenic Group welcomed travel agents onboard its luxury superyachts in a series of fam trips and ship visits
These were designed to build product knowledge and give trade partners and first-hand view of the guest experience.
Eight Advantage Travel Partnership Consortium members began by sailing from Barcelona to Marseille aboard Scenic Eclipse II, hosted by Danny Joel, business development manager.
Through calls at Cannes, St Tropez, and more, the group was able to experience wine and honey tasting, as well as a visit to the perfume factory.
They then continued with a ‘Scenic Specialists’ fam sailing aboard Scenic Eclipse II from Marseille to Barcelona. Five guests joined Scenic hosts Leiza Sullivan and Jade Woods for an itinerary featuring Marseille, Mahon, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Valencia, and Barcelona.
Highlights included a private welcome reception and a guided yacht tour, a helipad sailaway concert, a Scenic Enrich exclusive experience at Bellver Castle, and a choice of immersive shore experiences showcasing local culture, food, and landscapes.
In the Balearics, the programme incorporated ‘day visits’ to both Scenic and Emerald Cruises in one destination, a first for the company.
16 agents experienced both Emerald Sakara and Scenic Eclipse II in smaller groups, with Champagne receptions, hosted lunches and guided tours before swapping yachts.
Shane Lewis-Riley, director of sales & partnerships, said, “There is no substitute for seeing the product first-hand. These familiarisation trips and ship visits give agents the confidence, knowledge and personal experience they need to bring our river and yacht cruises to life for their customers.
“We have been delighted with the enthusiasm of the agents who joined us, and next year we plan to welcome more trade partners than ever before through an expanded programme of ship visits across both our river and yacht portfolio.”
Feedback from the ship visits highlighted the value of experiencing Scenic and Emerald cruises side by side, with agents saying the visit gave them a clearer understanding of the distinct atmosphere and ideal customer for each product, greater confidence in recommending the right option, and useful first-hand insight from conversations with the onboard teams.
The fam trips and ship visits have together generated over £260,000 in revenue from the attending guests during and following trips, proving a huge success.
