How can a small cruise help you get loyal customers and more referrals?

One of the main challenges we face in any business is getting loyal customers. Most of the time, we dream of strengthening our relationship with customers. Indeed, in the tourism business, we want to be the first option in people´s minds when they need to travel. Yet, the reality is heartbreaking!

Nowadays, we have to deal with DIY travelers that use online platforms to organize their trips—the pandemic period accelerated the adoption of new technologies and the development of online resources for travelers with great UX and UI.

Hopefully, the pandemic highlights the importance of travel experts in any emergency or issue or to answer any query. The pandemic also highlights the importance of travel experts in any trouble or problem or to answer any question.

A trend we have seen rocket is the requests of groups wanting to travel during their local festivities. A moment when they want to connect with their culture, beliefs, traditions, and quirks; meanwhile, they are collecting travel experiences; for example, the Chinese New Year.

We´ve seen how small cruises have become trendier among family and friends groups. Did you know that?

Keep reading, and we will explain how we helped Vaya Adventures get a happy group that turns into loyal travelers willing to refer them among friends.

Beginning the Chinese New Year by Cruising the Galapagos Island

Last August 2022, we received a charter request from Liz, a travel expert from our partner Vaya Adventure, based in California. She had a small group of Chinese family and friends that wanted to do something different for the Chinese New Year at the end of January 2023.

The group was looking to travel together and discover an exotic destination. Thus, Liz listened to them carefully and advised them to take a Galapagos Cruise. It wasn’t a bad idea! Why?

The Galapagos archipelago has a huge fleet of small cruises in different categories, sizes, and capacities. It allows them to access remote and unique sites onboard a small cruise ship, ensuring the group privacy, exclusivity, and great value for money. That’s because Galapagos cruises offer travelers as many activities and visits as possible in a short time, with all meals included under the escort of a naturalist guide.

The Alya cruise, our luxury catamaran, caught the attention of the Chi group. Liz could send Alya’s unbranded website (www.alyaonboard.com), so the group could check everything about the catamaran. From videos to the gallery and daily tours with a map highlighting the route that follows each journey.

A few days ago, we received the comments the Chi group gave to Liz about their experience onboard the Alya:

“All of us had a wonderful Chinese New Year celebration trip and everyone loved it.

Thank you and all crew members who made this special trip for us and the special memories.

We are extremely enjoyed to make the dumplings and shared them with the crew members (surprised us with Chinese cabbage)!

Many of our group members have already asked me to look for another small boat or property (for the private activities) in the different locations for next year Chinese New Year celebrations. If you have any suggestions please let me know.

Thanks again for your efforts to make this special unforgettable experience!

I already introduced this experience to some of my friends and I am sure they will contact you later!” Chi’s family – Jan 21st, 2023

As you read, what amazed us the most was that we not only fulfilled travelers’ expectations but also helped Liz, our partner, turn their clients into loyal and recurrent travelers willing to continue requesting her travel expertise. Ultimately, a charter on a small boat in the Galapagos Islands will lead to further and more sustainable sales. Thus, we are committed to our goal of supporting global partners to be more profitable while they diversify their travel catalog and access to high-ticket travelers.

A boutique Galapagos Cruise for special occasions

As the Chi family, in our more than 15 years of owning and operating Galapagos cruises, we have served many groups that have chosen our fleet to live an unforgettable experience in the Galapagos Islands with the privacy, cozy facilities, and high-quality service they deserve.

From a Kosher family group to a group of MBA mates that gifted them a cruise to celebrate their graduation to a granny that decided to travel with their kids and grandkids. There are many options and reasons why a group can choose a boutique Galapagos cruise, always resulting in a marvelous experience for them.

By requesting a charter on a Galapagos cruise ship, our business partners can access a convenient rate and commission and the option to personalize some services onboard, such as the type of menu, including alcoholic or soft drinks, or decide the distribution of the cabins.

As a half-charter or a whole charter, we can pamper the group and customize some of the onboard services as Galapagos cruise owners and operators.

Small Galapagos Cruises are a business opportunity for anyone looking to attract high-ticket travelers that enjoy nature, exotism, comfort, and privacy.

How do we support our global partners to become experts in selling Galapagos Cruises?

First of all, at Galagents, we have been developing online solutions for travel agents who are willing to diversify their travel offers by including the Galapagos Islands in their catalogs.

We work toward offering all the information an international travel agent or tour operator needs for selling the Galapagos archipelago, and Ecuador’s mainland, without much effort. However, we know that “time is money,” and that’s why we invest in developing online sales and training tools.

Do you want to know more in-depth about how we back up your Galapagos Cruise sales? Well, check our previous article in which we unveiled some of the facilities and tools we offer our global partners.

If you’re interested in selling the Galapagos, improving your sales, and counting with a local and experience cruise and tour operator in Ecuador, we would love to hear from you.

Contact us at [email protected]