River cruise lines have reported “strong demand” for bookings since the prime minister announced his roadmap out of lockdown last week.
Scenic reported 150% uplift in bookings across its European river cruising products in the week following the prime minister’s announcement, and the highest number of new bookings since March 2020.
European river cruises on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers were the most-booked.
Nichola Absalom, director of global brand and marketing for Scenic UK, said: “The recent uplift in new bookings shows our guests are just as eager to set sail again as we are.
“Whilst booking levels are not yet back to normal, we are seeing the number of enquiries for our small ship cruises continue to grow as the weeks go by.”
Absalom said guests are booking “well in advance” with departures for late 2021 and 2022 most popular.
“Positive advances in the UK such as the vaccine rollout and lockdown roadmap have helped to instil confidence among our guests,” she said, adding that early bird offers and “significant discount” had also driven interest.
Scenic is currently offering savings of up to £1,500 per couple, a Deposit Protection Plan and is allowing changes up to 60 days prior to departure without any fees.
Tui River Cruises reported “strong demand” for Christmas markets and winter itineraries, with the under-50s accounting for more than one in 10 bookings and new customers for a third.
Tui also said there had been “strong appetite for solo travel”, with more than a third of passengers booking a winter itinerary booking solo cabins, with no single supplement.
The line said “there’s never been a better time to book a Tui River Cruise holiday” with offers such as a free all-inclusive upgrade on July and August 2021 sailings and a range of offers on bookable extras to add to their itineraries.