Phil Hoffmann Travel to launch cruise booking portal as part of national push

Phil Hoffmann Travel is making its first major foray into new markets outside of SA, launching an online booking portal on the back of a booming cruise market.

Phil Hoffmann Travel is launching a new cruise booking portal.

Phil Hoffmann Travel is making its first major foray into new markets outside of its home state of South Australia, launching a new online booking portal on the back of a booming cruise market.

The new cruise booking portal will go live later this week, aggregating travel options offered by all of the major cruise lines. It will be supported by the Adelaide-based travel agency’s team of consultants.

Managing director Peter Williams said PHT would promote the new portal at travel expos and roadshows across the country over the course of the year as part of a national expansion strategy.

“We do have national ambitions and to fish in a larger pond,” he said.

“Next month is our first toe in the water, launching what I call a best of breed online cruise booking portal.

“It aggregates all cruising around the world – it’s a one stop shop that we’ll be promoting on a national basis.

“We are a founding member of the Platinum Cruise Club, and that gives us access to exclusive deals, upgrades and onboard credits that just can’t be purchased anywhere else.”

Phil Hoffmann Travel managing director Peter Williams. Picture: Tom Huntley

PHT partnered with Brisbane’s Clean Cruising and Newcastle’s Hunter Travel Group in 2023 to establish the invitation-only Platinum Cruise Club, which curates exclusive cruise and land packages for members and promotes offers from cruise line partners.

Mr Williams said the portal’s launch coincided with a post-pandemic boom in the cruise industry, fuelled by baby boomers looking to make up for lost time, a younger 35-50 demographic attracted to the relative value of cruising when compared to other forms of travel, and multi-generational family groups who typically travel together on “resort-style” ships to locations across Asia, Europe and the Caribbean.

“Cruise has really been the big winner, and right across the cruise segment, it is just growing at an amazing rate,” he said.

“There’s new builds coming into the market at a breakneck speed. There’s been a real push to luxury on that small to mid-sized ship – companies such as Seabourn, Silversea. And there’s new entrants like Explora Journeys – they’re cruising the Med, Northern Europe, Scandinavia, Japan, Alaska – these are the hot destinations, and they’re going exceptionally well.”

PHT, backed by ASX-listed Helloworld Travel, employs close to 200 staff across nine offices in Adelaide and regional SA.

Mr Williams said Helloworld’s investment and support – following its acquisition of 40 per cent of the company in 2023 – had enabled it to fast-track its expansion plans and invest in key growth areas like corporate travel.

PHT has restructured and bolstered its corporate travel division, promoting Kirstie Boulton to the newly created role of corporate operations manager to oversee its continued growth.

PHT specialises in the SME market, providing travel management services to local SA organisations including Coopers Brewery, Yalumba, Beerenberg, Flinders University and Codan.

“We have had a restructure through our corporate business to allow that growth from what we’ve seen in the last 18 months and what we expect over the next one to three years,” Mr Williams said.

“I don’t think there’s any better time to invest in the future of corporate travel than now. And I think Phil Hoffmann Travel sits in that sweet spot, that SME sweet spot, where those clients that really value our service, our new technology, which we’ve been able to bring on with the assistance of Helloworld’s investment – that really has created a great formula, and we believe we’re winning the market share battle.”

Originally published as Phil Hoffmann Travel to launch cruise booking portal as part of national push