Andy Harmer: ‘River is not just thriving – it’s charting a course’
Andy Harmer OBE highlights the strength of the river cruise sector and why now is the perfect time to enhance your knowledge of the world’s waterways
River cruise has gone from strength to strength in the past few years, which was highlighted once again at our recent annual RiverView Conference.
Delegates from a wide range of agencies joined us in Budapest, as we hailed another successful 12 months for both the sector itself and those in the trade who sell it.
What continues to stand out is the sheer amount of choice available to river cruisers, which is now wider than ever.
The type of ship, wealth of itineraries, price points and departure destinations offer a fantastic number of options to passengers.
With so much variety, river sailings offer an ideal alternative to land-based holidays, as ships call into the heart of city centres across Europe and further afield.
We continue to see the Seine, Rhine, Rhone, Danube and Douro consistently appeal to UK and Ireland passengers, as witnessed by new ships being launched there this year.
That choice of destination now goes way beyond Europe, to include the Nile, Mekong, Ganges, Amazon and now, for the first time, the Magdalena River in Colombia.
Encouragingly for agents, we also heard at RiverView how operators are committed to evolving and innovating.
Celebrity Cruises, a mainstay of ocean cruise, will bring its unique style to the sector from 2027 as it sails rivers for the first time via a fleet of 10 ships.
Meanwhile a host of new river vessels are entering waterways this year, as cruise lines grow their fleet, becoming ever more innovative and appealing.
It was made clear that river cruise holidays have changed and evolved, and that one element that has seen the biggest change is the opportunity for holidaymakers to extend their river cruise with land elements.
River cruise operators are adding the chance to experience luxury trains, outstanding hotels and incredible sightseeing options to add even more value to the river cruise experience, and this is appealing to customers who are looking to make the most of their overall river cruise holiday and fully explore the destination.
As river cruise continues to grow, and the choices that come with it further open up, there has never been a better time for agents to develop their understanding and expertise of selling this unique sector.
With innovation, new destinations and an ever-expanding audience, river is not just thriving – it’s also charting an exciting course for the future.
Andy Harmer OBE is managing director of CLIA UK & Ireland
