Agents get an 'Insider' look at GLP Worldwide

New river cruises in Europe and Asia, an expanded ocean expedition program and an updated travel agent portal are among the new developments in store from GLP Worldwide, which were detailed during a travel agent ‘Insider Event’ in Toronto this week.

The lunch event was the final of three such events held by GLP across Canada this month (preceded by shows in Cambridge, ON and Vancouver), welcoming agents to learn more about what the tour operator has in store for 2017 and beyond, following the company's recent rebranding.

Among the big announcements are a new partnership with CroisiEurope, said GLP Vice-President Gordon Dreger during the event, which will see GLP expand its European river cruise itineraries to the Loire and Elbe Rivers (aboard CroisiEurope’s Loire Princess and Elbe Princess respectively) among others, sailing on 10 of the cruise line’s newest Premium Ships. According to Dreger, the partnership comes as CroisiEurope is looking to gain a larger market share in North America.

GLP will also see an expansion of its Asia river cruise product through a recent partnership with Pandaw River Expeditions, which will see itineraries cruising the Irrawaddy, Mekong, Yangtze, Red and Kapuas Rivers, the latter of which will bring GLP guests to Borneo, complete with rainforest explorations and orangutan encounters.

For cruise passengers looking to explore the high seas, GLP’s Expedition category will see increased sailings by Hurtigruten, including explorations of Norway’s fjords, Canada’s East Coast and Arctic regions and Antarctica (currently, GLP is offering 30 per cent off all 2017 Hurtigruten sailings until Dec. 31, 2016), while travellers seeking warmer climates can explore the Galapagos Islands, travel through Tahiti and the Marquesas (aboard Aranui) or Panama and Costa Rica with UnCruise.

Other new packages include mega yacht voyages in the Mediterranean as well as Indian and Atlantic Oceans, including explorations of destinations ranging from Turkey, Greece, the Seychelles and Canary Islands. Dreger added that while many travellers might not consider a mega yacht based on the potential price tag, he said that GLP offers several packages in the $3,500 to $5,000 CDN range.

On land, GLP will launch a new series of Rail adventures in 2017, Dreger said, including itineraries on the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Beijing; the African Explorer from Namibia to South Africa; and the Silk Road from Kazakhstan to Turkmenistan.

While the new voyages are listed in GLP’s newest brochure (featuring Canadian pricing), Dreger explained that the brochure was “thin on purpose,” leaving out the full details so that guests can access them online.

And for travel agents, Dreger explained that the latest incarnation of GLP’s travel agent portal will enter beta testing with a group of select agents in the coming weeks, ahead of a future unveiling; in addition, GLP is putting an increased focus on webinars so that agents can stay on top of the latest products offered by the tour operator.

“We’ve long been a supporter of travel agents and have a great relationship with them,” Dreger said. “We feel very strongly that the programs we offer require travellers to book through a trusted source; not many people are going to just go and book a package to Borneo online.”

For more information, visit glpworldwide.com.