The Travel Village Group launches a pioneering River Cruise Academy, aiming to enhance sales for business owners.
- Nine business owners have already enrolled in the comprehensive six-month programme.
- The curriculum includes hands-on fam trips, classroom learning, and virtual sessions.
- Key partners from prominent cruise lines are instrumental in providing training and support.
- A graduation event will be held at Clia RiverView 2025 in Budapest.
The Travel Village Group has introduced an innovative River Cruise Academy designed to bolster the sales capabilities of independent business owners. The initiative, developed by Amanda Taylor and Richard Cross following Clia’s RiverView Conference in Amsterdam, seeks to educate participants through a blend of practical experiences and academic learning.
The inaugural event took place at the Emerald & Scenic Cruises headquarters in Manchester, where it set the stage for subsequent training sessions led by experts such as Wendi Hardy from Emerald & Scenic Cruises, Dawn Quinn from Uniworld, Robin Griffiths from APT, and Joanne Smithies from AmaWaterways. Smithies expressed her enthusiasm, stating, ‘We’re delighted to support such a great initiative with The Travel Village Group.’
The initial cohort comprises nine business owners from the group’s Holiday Village division. These individuals have signed up to partake in an extensive curriculum that spans six months, encompassing both in-person and online educational experiences. Participants will gain firsthand knowledge through two familiarisation trips onboard river cruises and further solidify their learning with a climactic graduation event at the Clia RiverView 2025 in Budapest.
Throughout the programme, participants are encouraged to actively engage and even host their own river cruise events, providing them with crucial opportunities to apply their newly acquired skills and knowledge. The initiative has received considerable backing from various supplier partners, highlighting the collaborative spirit within the industry.
The Travel Village Group’s River Cruise Academy exemplifies a forward-thinking approach to professional development in the travel sector.
