Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has started allowing Asian travel agents to join its membership and accreditation programme.

At an event in Jakarta yesterday, held in conjunction with the Singapore Tourism Bureau (STB), CLIA’s head of training & development, Peter Kollar, introduced the association and its membership benefits to more than 100 Indonesian and Malaysian travel agents.

He also provided industry updates and conducted a training session aimed at educating agents about the techniques of selling cruise holidays.

“We’re delighted to be introducing our training and accreditation programme to agents in Indonesia and other countries in Southeast Asia,” Kollar said. “Cruising has gained popularity rapidly in the Asian market and more and more cruise lines are deploying ships in this region. CLIA training is designed to assist agents to be equipped to meet the growing demand for cruise.”

CLIA’s cruise accreditation programme gives travel agents access to CLIA’s Learning Academy, which contains more than 50 training modules covering various aspects of the cruise industry.

Following the launch of the programme in Indonesia and Malaysia, CLIA will introduce it to Singaporean agents later this month.