Fast-growing market for agents

More travel agents should be aware of the fast-growing San Francisco cruise market, says Gerry Roybal, Maritime Marketing Manager for the Port of San Francisco. “We don’t have a scientific study of travel agency participants, but the cruise lines say anywhere from 90 to 95% of cruises are sold by travel agents, and we think that’s the case for us as well,” he told TravelMole. Such cruises are particularly lucrative to agents because many ships involve 12 of 14- days. Trips to Alaska are seasonal, but Mr Roybal said California coast and Mexico-bound ships run year-round. And another emerging market is Hawaii. The number of disembarking passengers as of 1996 was 52,875, but that number will swell to 224,500 this year, according to port figures. The port provides service to 27 different ships representing 14 different cruise brands. Scheduled calls rose by 15% this year, and passenger traffic for the year is up 57% over last year. There are several reasons for the fast growth in San Francisco, according to Mr Roybal. They include the port’s convenient downtown location and the public’s fear of flying that has led to increased cruise business. “We’ve got the product. We’ve just got to educate the agents,” said Mr Roybal.