One of the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry, the global cruise market is expected to reach demand of more than 27 million by 2020. The Pacific region-a rich source of exotic destinations and eco-friendly experiences-is positioned to become the new cruise playground in this emerging market. To capture that demand, Blue Lagoon Cruises, a Fiji-owned boutique island cruise specialist offering its guests unique cruising vacations and a first-hand experience of Fiji’s pristine Yasawa Islands, has selected Travelclick to be its outsourced ecommerce partner. Blue Lagoon Cruises will use a combination of Travelclick’s online marketing solutions-including the iHotelier Central Reservation System (CRS) and Digital Agency services-and proven revenue optimisation expertise to increase its web presence and grow online bookings share of this high-potential market.

“In these tough economic times, we have been focused increasingly on generating business directly from our website,” said Tim Stonhill, CEO of Blue Lagoon Cruises. “We needed a partner with the tools and experience to manage all aspects of that initiative for us-in a holistic way. Plus, because of the competitiveness of our business, we wanted a booking engine that could rapidly convert online shoppers to onboard cruisers. Travelclick has an excellent track record of high conversions, and its business model has made it possible for us to get immediate results without making a large upfront investment.”

Blue Lagoon Cruises will use Travelclick’s iHotelier CRS, with its award-winning booking engine, iStay, to generate high-value direct web bookings. It will also leverage Travelclick’s search engine optimisation solution to improve search rankings, email marketing to manage communications with guests, pay-per-click advertising to move more traffic to its website, and social media optimisation to grow awareness and build community worldwide.   

With over 60 years of experience in cruising in the Fiji islands, Blue Lagoon Cruises sports a fleet of four boutique cruise ships and six unique itineraries-providing the opportunity to cruise, swim, and snorkel in some of the world’s most pristine waters as well as to visit remote Fijian villages and experience island culture firsthand.  The company also supports the Yasawa Islands community financially and assists with the vitally important island children’s education and development projects, including the construction of schools around the islands; school fees, books, and uniforms; and medical clinics.

“We are a company that truly stands out from others in our market space by offering an intimate cruise experience that is unparalleled in the industry. Travelclick’s Digital Agency will help us showcase our uniqueness, feature exotic destinations, enhance the online customer experience, and develop a direct client business base,” added Mr. Stonhill.

“The addition of Blue Lagoon to our customer base represents a major milestone and a new high-growth market opportunity for Travelclick,” said Paul Southey, Travelclick’s Vice President, Asia Pacific.  “Through consulting closely with Blue Lagoon, we have custom-tailored our software to better meet the distinct needs of this important segment of the travel industry. Now cruise lines can leverage the same ecommerce solutions that have empowered our hotel customers for over a decade.”