River cruise line operators have urged travel agents to immerse themselves in the sector to better sell the product and convert more ocean customers and new to cruise.

Speaking at the 2019 CLIA river cruise conference in Amsterdam, CroisiEurope UK sales director John Fair said it was “important to understand the product” in detail and recommended that agents become aware of the subtle differences on each river.

“Know the city break rivers, then the so-called scenic rivers, then those that offer deep dives into culture – the Mekong, Amazon, Irrawaddy,” he said. “It gives agents the confidence to sell the right river to the right customer. It also gives them the chance to build a client base.

“Agents need to know the brand, the rivers and their business development managers.”

As part of the panel, AmaWaterways sales, marketing and digital director Jamie Loizou outlined how a lack of first-hand knowledge can damage potential bookings, adding: “It’s about investing time and energy. Using CLIA as a resource is vital – that can cut through a lot of the noise. Have a river cruise champion in the office.”

Focus on experiences, and go for the cake

With so much going on in the sector, from new ship launches to developments around sustainability, it was noted by the panel how the sheer volume of information being pumped out can be overwhelming.

Avalon Waterways director of sales Janet Parton said that agents should seize opportunities to work with cruise lines to refine their messaging. “We can help agents with marketing campaigns and they should also consider hosting consumer shows to explain river cruising.”

Of course, this year’s conference follows the collapse of Thomas Cook and the seemingly never-ending uncertainty of Brexit, and this was noted by AmaWaterways managing director Stuart Perl, who admitted it had been a “tough year”.

“However, we’re resilient and the industry remains strong,” he added. “Despite the uncertainty, the industry continues to sell. We’re on track to hit 250,000 river passengers. I urge agents to make those late sales and this time next year we really will have something to celebrate.”

More positive news came from Crystal River Cruises vice-president & managing director Walter Littlejohn, who added that the sector was only just beginning to realise its potential.

He explained: “This is still a small business. We [operators] don’t want to all offer the same thing – we want to provide different experiences and choice, so that makes the job easier for travel agents.

“Don’t go for the crumbs, go for the whole cake. The cake is those who have never been on a river cruise.”