The fantastic Clia RiverRiew Conference served as a reminder of how far the sector has come, says Travel Weekly’s Lucy Huxley
Travel Weekly has been media partner of Clia conferences and events for almost 15 years, which means I have had a front‑row seat to observe the evolution of trade engagement with the cruise sector.
I remember attending the first UK Cruise Convention in Dover in 2007, when the Passenger Shipping Association’s Retail Agent Scheme (Psara) rebranded as the snappier Association of Cruise Experts (Ace).
Five years later, the PSA and Ace joined forces with global cruise associations under the Clia umbrella, and in the 12 years since the industry has flourished, as its new president Bud Darr recalls.
Last weekend, I was fortunate to attend and moderate the Clia RiverView Conference in Budapest, and this fantastic event served as another reminder of how far we’ve all come.
Clia has been running river cruise conferences since those Ace days, but in recent years the scale and growth of the RiverView event has reflected a segment of the global industry that is truly on the up.
During the conference, I was privileged to be unveiled as the godmother of APT’s newest ship, Estrela, and I was pleased to accept the honour because the rationale for my selection was my commitment to the travel trade.
I am always more comfortable posing questions to others than being the focal point of attention, but when I smash the bottle next month, I will do so on behalf of the incredible travel agent readers of Travel Weekly, who have played such a key role in the growth of a sector that continues to go from strength to strength.
Comment originally from Travel Weekly, March 13 edition