Persuade a family to switch from an all-inclusive hotel to a cruise and you could earn 21% more commission, Hays Travel told its Independence Group members at its annual conference.

Hays Head of Cruise Catriona Parsons said the higher commission levels paid by cruise lines, which have risen by one to three percentage points year-on-year, mean that IG members can earn significantly more than selling land-based holidays, while still offering customers good value for money.

She said the commission earned on a typical family holiday all-inclusive 12-night holiday during April 2023 was £718 versus up to £872 for a typical family 12-night cruise during April, even though the cruise was almost £1,600 cheaper.

Urging IG members to offer customers a cruise as an alternative to a land-based package, Catriona said they could earn an average of 12% to 19% commission.

Already, cruise makes up 14.6% of all product sold by IG members, up from 12.09% a year ago, but Catriona said it could be even higher. Some 16% of its 132 members don’t sell cruise, although this is down from 18% a year ago.

“Lines are investing more money, which means there is a market, which means people will be asking for cruises. If you are not selling cruises now, someone else around the corner will be,” she said. “The commission levels now on river, luxury and ocean cruises are fantastic.”

Of the 39 million holidays taken by Brits last year, only two million were cruises, Catriona said, but half of the 37m who took a land-based holiday said they open to cruising. “That is more profit per person with every single booking.”