Travel Associates has taken another strategic step forward with its Cruise Boutique specialisation by appointing Donna Elliott (nee Grant) as General Manager.
The ongoing passion for cruising within the Australian market was the impetus for Travel Associates to launch its cruise boutique specialisation in August 2019, with 14 offices.
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To create further opportunity within this critical travel market, the company has now appointed a dedicated General Manager for Cruise Boutique.
Donna Elliott (nee Grant) has a successful 18-year career with FCTG, starting as an advisor and team leader before being promoted to area leader, where she managed Flight Centre, Escape Travel and Student Flights teams.
She also spent three years in New York with Liberty Travel, and for the past five years, she was the national brand leader for Travel Associates.
Cruise Boutique
Donna Elliott – General Manager for Cruise Boutique, Travel Associates
Travel Associates Cruise Boutiques offer true expertise in ocean, river and expedition cruises. With a collective 650+ sailings, the Travel Associates cruise boutique advisers are uniquely equipped to understand the nuances of every supplier to guide client decisions and the most experienced brand in the market when it comes to cruise expertise and firsthand experience.
“Our talented advisers have a minimum of 10 years of experience in travel and are able to offer personal knowledge, firsthand experience and strong connections with virtually every single cruise brand in the market,”
Donna Elliott (nee Grant), Travel Associates new General Manager of Cruise Boutique and Virtuoso.
“The Australian cruise sector, both for homeport and international sailings, is forecast to continue its growth and we want to go on this journey with our clients, providing them with the very best cruising experiences globally.”
As General Manager of Cruise Boutique, Mrs Elliott will deliver growth by developing the broader market strategy, as well as individual opportunities for each business to expand its client network and secure greater market share.
In addition, the portfolio also includes the Travel Associates’ network of Virtuoso offices and will see the brand work closely with Virtuoso to strengthen strategies to grow the business’ ultra-premium credentials.
The combined Cruise Boutique and Virtuoso portfolios align well, signalling Travel Associates’ plan to differentiate the brand in the market thanks to an unrivalled focus on customer service and specialisation, combined with extremely strong relationships with cruise partners and the Virtuoso team in Australia.
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