Almost 50 travel consultants from across Australia and New Zealand have expanded their understanding of the cruise industry and sharpened their sales and marketing skills after taking part in the International Cruise Council Australasia's 2010 Masters Conference in China this month.

ICCA Masters Conference 2010 (l to r) Masters trainer Scott Koepf, Viking River Cruises Managing Director Australia & New Zealand Teresia Fors and ICCA General Manager Brett Jardine.

ICCA Masters Conference agents onboard Viking Century Sun

Hosted by Viking River Cruises, the consultants spent two nights in Shanghai followed by five nights cruising along the Yangtze River, discovering the wonders of the Chinese culture while working under the guidance of the ICCA's inspirational Masters Trainer, US-based Scott Koepf.

ICCA General Manager Brett Jardine proclaimed the conference a resounding success, drawing a wide range of travel agents including some previous Masters Conference attendees who returned to sharpen their skills.

"Gaining Masters accreditation is a significant achievement and comes at a valuable time given the level of enthusiasm that exists amongst consumers for cruising," Mr Jardine said.

Travel Impressions' Paul Barnett completed his Masters in 2001 but said returning for a repeat experience at the 2010 conference had proved invaluable. "This was a totally different and new learning experience for me so I can't stress the value of taking part in the Masters conference again," Mr Barnett.

Ramsgate Travel Service Manager Justine Sealey was also glowing in her praise, describing Scott Koepf as "a very energetic and engaging trainer".

"The Masters conference had far exceeded my expectations. We have all come away armed with an immense amount of knowledge and ideas and having the opportunity to share these with some like minded participants has been excellent," Ms Sealey said.

Consultants will now complete a post-conference work-based case study to gain their ICCA Masters accreditation.

Cruise Council Masters accredited agents are the among the most knowledgeable cruise experts in the industry and receive priority listings in the Council's consumer travel agent search facility on its website.