Opportunity for Top Travel Advisors Launches as TV Program Debuts New Season
11 September 2024 – Jerne (www.jerne.com), the leading platform connecting influential travel curators and experience providers, and World’s Greatest Cruises (www.worldsgreatestcruises.com), the first and only cruise travel TV series airing on PBS stations, have partnered to highlight the benefits of working with an expert local travel advisor when booking vacations, as well as provide viewers of World’s Greatest Cruises the opportunity to book the cruises of their dreams with Jerne’s community of verified top travel professionals in the USA and Canada.
“It’s an honor for Jerne and our community of top travel advisors to be featured as World’s Greatest Cruises’ travel retail partner on PBS stations from coast to coast,” said Tim Morgan, CEO, Jerne. “We know that travel advisors and their agencies across the USA and Canada will benefit from the association with this unique, high production-value travel program on esteemed public television stations.”
World’s Greatest Cruises is the first and only cruise travel TV series on PBS. Season 1 is airing in three-quarters of the top 25 markets, and on stations from coast to coast. ‘Border’ PBS stations in the USA also broadcast into Canada, reaching all 3 of the top Canadian markets. Season 2 (see trailer here: https://youtu.be/dokJn0Umozo?si=2EN0nx8TFMDqrSlX ) includes episodes featuring transformative cruise experiences in the Antarctic, the Arctic, North America, Europe and the Caribbean aboard Seabourn, Viking, Scenic, Emerald, and Cunard ships.
“Connecting Jerne’s community of top travel advisors with PBS viewers who love cruise travel and who are inspired to cruise by the stories we tell about life-changing cruise experiences around the world,” Lynn Elmhirst, Executive Producer and host of World’s Greatest Cruises, added, “will ensure cruise travelers have the best booking experience and service – and support local businesses.”
As Season 2 of World’s Greatest Cruises premieres on September 11, 2024, viewers who visit the program’s website are invited to connect with top travel advisors across the USA and Canada, as selected from Jerne’s verified members of its recognition program, The 1000. Testifying to their high level of experience, in order for a travel advisor to qualify for The 1000, they must demonstrate a minimum of US$1.5M in individual annual sales. Cumulatively, Jerne’s community of travel advisors has verified annual sales exceeding US$1billion across their individual agency affiliations (https://www.jerne.com/jerne-celebrates-travel-advisors-hitting-one-billion-dollars-in-verified-sales/).
“We know cruising is gaining in popularity, with more new-to-cruise travelers than ever,” said Morgan. “This partnership is a win for everyone. Advisors will connect with new cruise customers in support of their travel agencies and consortia, and new cruise travelers will be planning their vacations with the best in the business.”
Compared to other TV networks in the USA, PBS travel program viewers are 27% more likely to take 3+ vacations per year, 37% more likely to engage a travel agent, and 34% more likely to have taken two cruises in the last three years. Engaged in their communities, they are among the most influential members of their professional and social spheres: 22% more likely to be a ‘community super-influential’ and 19% more likely to be a ‘travel influential.’ (Sources: Ipsos/ Nielsen/ MRI Doublebase)
“World’s Greatest Cruises and the PBS viewing audience is a match made in heaven,” said Elmhirst. “Through our partnership with Jerne, we can help viewers make the dream cruise experiences they see on PBS’ TV stations and online channels a reality for themselves on the cruise lines whose experiences we bring to life on screen.”
Travel advisors interested in learning more can apply for verification as a top travel advisor in Jerne’s community at https://jerne.com/invitation/.
About Jerne
Jerne is the world’s leading platform connecting hundreds of experience providers (hotels, cruise lines, tour operators, restaurants, spas, and every experiential product in between) around the world with thousands of influential travel curators (travel advisors, influencers, content creators, bloggers, and more) in over 100 countries, forming a new channel for travel marketing and sales.
For experience providers, Jerne’s end-to-end curator management platform simplifies travel curator sourcing, verification, agreement administration, content management, lead generation, earned media analytics, ROI reporting, and re-marketing via MyJerne – unlocking the full power of the travel curator distribution channel with Jerne’s proprietary inspiration engine. For travel curators, Jerne’s hundreds of experience provider partnerships open access to thousands of hosted experience opportunities with hotels, restaurants, spas, cruises, tours, and other travel and hospitality experiences that they can share with their community and earn incentives on attributable bookings.
Jerne was co-founded in 2021 by Tim Morgan and Ryan McElroy who have a combined 40 years of travel industry experience, both having worked for or served on advisory boards of many of the world’s leading travel companies. Formerly overseeing Canada & EMEA for Virtuoso, Morgan also co-founded The 1000 (acquired by Jerne), a $3 billion club for the world’s most influential travel advisors. McElroy also co-founded Travel Agency Tribes, a provider of B2B2C travel marketing technologies used by thousands of travel companies and consumers every day. (www.jerne.com)
About World’s Greatest Cruises
World’s Greatest Cruises is the first and only cruise travel TV series on PBS public television stations from coast to coast, broadcasting to 150 million viewers 18-50+. PBS “Border” Stations in the U.S. carrying World’s Greatest Cruises also reach millions of Canadians, including Canada’s top 3 markets.
Award-winning travel /cruise journalist and TV producer Lynn Elmhirst is executive producer and host of World’s Greatest Cruises, which “celebrates the wonder of exploring the world by water.” In each half-hour episode, viewers sail with Lynn on a unique itinerary as she experiences hands-on and in-person the spectacular scenery, maritime traditions, nature and wildlife, local people and cultures – best discovered by ship.
Lynn has in-depth knowledge, and access to, the most compelling and transformative cruises as a result of a 20-year love affair with cruise travel storytelling. For years, Lynn has been following the trends, meeting the change-makers, and experiencing in person the most interesting developments and one-of-a-kind experiences in cruising and travel. She’s shared those stories in articles, digital video and TV programs with both the public and members of the travel industry.
World’s Greatest Cruises (www.worldsgreatestcruises.com) is the latest TV program produced by Lynn’s production company, Influence Entertainment Group, which has produced programming that has aired in dozens of markets around the world.