
RIVER CRUISE SALES: PAST PERFORMANCE & OUTLOOK BY CLIENT SEGMENTS
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CHART 9
While couples and seniors remain the go-to
segments for river cruise, new demographics are
entering the market. Where river cruises were
typically only sold to baby boomers and empty
nesters, the forward-looking guidance by advisors
suggests a significant move towards leisure groups
and nuclear families. The sales outlook for these
segments in the next two years is 61% and 63%.
Some of the factors behind this shift in consumer
demographic for the river cruise segment are the
influx of ICs–who are expanding their businesses
and targeting new segments–and the drop in the
Euro exchange rate, which is making river cruises
more affordable for North American travelers.
Other factors driving the fundamental shift in
consumer behavior post-pandemic are the need
to tick off bucket list destinations and the desire
to spend time with family, which is driving the
multi-generational group segment.
TRENDS IN THE RIVER CRUISE SEGMENT
1%
9%
25%
33%
33%
44%
49%
60%
82%
82%
88%
89%
7%
19%
46%
52%
56%
63%
61%
59%
65%
65%
66%
65%
Sold in the past Plan to sell in the next 24 months
Couples
Seniors
Luxury/affluent
Empty nesters
Solo travelers
Leisure groups
Multi-generational family
Millennials
Nuclear families
Clubs (e.g., wine, wellness etc.)
Incentive/ conference groups
Students