The Australian Pacific Touring (APT) Group is hopeful UK river cruise bookings will make up 20%-25% of total cruise sales within five years.
The group started to sell river cruises under its AMA Waterways brand to the UK market this year.
Gary Bartelings, director UK, Europe and Africa, said UK river cruise sales had got off to a “promising start”, but numbers were “in the hundreds of passengers as opposed to the thousands”.
He admitted there was an opportunity to fill the gap left by luxury operator Peter Deilmann, which has gone into administration but is operating until October.
But Bartelings added: “It’s up to us to talk to trade partners. The concept of four- and five-star river cruising is not that well known. There is work to do.”
The group has added a cruise module to its online trade training programme, which has 1,000 registered agents, and will continue to offer product through operators such as Travel 2.
Owner Geoff McGeary said the group had cut back its ship-building plans from two to one a year, due to the recession.
Its seventh river cruise ship is due in May 2010, with an eighth in 2011. McGeary said he expected the company to build a further ship for 2012. “We will put more capacity into this market,” he said.