Back in March, at the 2023 CLIA RiverView conference in Vienna, travel agents were given one clear message: river cruise is on the verge of something big.

The prevailing consensus back then – and still to this day – is that now, more than ever, people are open to trying a river cruise, no longer being put off by old presumptions.

As Tom Dumbrell, national account manager for the UK and Ireland at Tauck, explains in this supplement: “We’ve got to keep the foot to the pedal. The opportunities will continue to grow but there needs to be continued enthusiasm and we must continue to push the messages to clients through our agent partners.”

That notion of upping the ante when it comes to agent relationships, is something that many river lines are focusing on, not least Riviera Travel, as the line’s Tom Morgan Explains. This trend, coupled with new itineraries and ships, puts the sector on solid ground for more aggressive expansion over the coming years.