{"id":3551,"date":"2012-01-19T08:45:00","date_gmt":"2012-01-19T08:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/?p=3551"},"modified":"2012-01-19T08:45:00","modified_gmt":"2012-01-19T08:45:00","slug":"zegrahm-coming-to-australia-in-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traveloscopy.com\/travel-news\/2012\/01\/zegrahm-coming-to-australia-in-2013\/","title":{"rendered":"Zegrahm coming to Australia in 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n
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Zegrahm Expeditions flagship, Clipper Odyssey<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

by Louise Goldsbury, editor, Cruise Weekly<\/a> <\/p>\n

Under new ownership, Small Ship Adventure Company and Alaska Bound are set to launch several products in the local market.<\/p>\n

THE sale of Small Ship Adventure Company and Alaska Bound to Asia Pacific Travel Marketing Services (APTMS), announced yesterday, will see an expansion of agent services and a wider range of cruise packages for Australian clients.<\/p>\n

Suzannah Cowley, the company\u2019s new sales and marketing director, told CW that one of the most exciting developments would be Zegrahm Expeditions\u2019 entry into Australia next year.<\/p>\n

For the first time, Zegrahm\u2019s expanded fleet of vessels will primarily circle the Pacific Rim and offer voyages in the Kimberley, as well as Tasmania, New Zealand and the sub-Antarctic islands, Vietnam and Cambodia, Indonesia and Borneo, Japan and South Korea, and Melanesia and Micronesia.<\/p>\n

The company also recently signed up Australian-owned North Star Cruises, which operates the adventure vessel True North<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other new options include Eastern Canada, small coach touring added to Alaskan cruises, and the Rocky Mountaineer train packaged with more small ships.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur 100% dedication to small ships won\u2019t change \u2013 it\u2019s business as normal but with an expanded service,\u201d Cowley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really wanted to expand, and Asia Pacific (APTMS) is a great match because they didn\u2019t have any cruise product but they have people like Richard Davis, formerly of Adventure World, who has a lot of small ship and Alaska experience, which was important to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The acquisition will allow Small Ship Adventure Co and Alaska Bound to improve services for travel agents, Cowley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we shift into the online market, we need more expertise, and Asia Pacific has the resources for us to establish better agent support and marketing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can now use their technology to offer webinars and more sales tools, such as e-brochures and flyers, to help agents convert sales.\u201d<\/p>\n

The move also sees the farewell of the company\u2019s popular founder, Maryann Anderson. Due to family matters, Anderson has decided to \u201cslow down\u201d, Cowley said.<\/p>\n

Agents can post their personal messages on a Facebook page set up this week: \u2018Maryann Anderson – Travel Industry Farewell\u2019.<\/p>\n