River cruise is expected to experience the biggest growth across all sectors of travel in the next five years, according to the managing director of Tui River Cruises.
Speaking on a panel at Clia’s RiverView Conference in Vienna, Chris Hackney referenced recent Mintel research which showed demand for river cruise will grow by 12% by 2028.
“River cruise is the biggest growth sector across all travel, growing from 10% last year to 22% over the next five years,” he told delegates.
More: ‘Strong demand’ prompts Tui River Cruises to add winter capacity
“The customer feedback we’ve had on river cruise is exceptional and the experience passengers have on a river cruise in unparalleled.
“There is a vast range of itineraries which are growing all the time. Customers want new experiences and to go to new places and trips further afield is definitely a growth area in coming years.”
Clia chair Ben Bouldin said: “2023 is shaping up to be a bigger year than 2019 and the outlook for this year is bright.
“River cruise lines have a rich opportunity in terms of destinations and it’s fantastic to see the boundaries continue to broaden as the sector looks to take people further afield than it ever has before.”
Lucia Rowe, managing director UK and Ireland for A-Rosa, recommended agents focus on multi-generational travel, which has seen a surge in demand in the last three years.
“The pandemic opened some incredible opportunities in terms of multi-generational travel which has become a very popular holiday as people developed a huge desire to spend time with their loved ones,” she said.
“There is a huge market out there waiting to be explored.”