4
TMR OUTLOOK ON RIVER CRUISE
KEY
FINDINGS
OVER 850 TRAVEL ADVISORS
PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY,
which took an average of 12:27
minutes to complete, and the results
have a +/- 3% margin of error with
95% confidence.
94% OF AGENTS SOLD RIVER
CRUISES IN PAST 12 MONTHS
, and
99% expect to sell river cruises in
next 12 months.
SLIGHTLY MORE THAN HALF OF
RESPONDENTS (52%) SAID THEY OR
SOMEBODY ELSE IN THEIR AGENCY
SPECIALIZES IN RIVER CRUISES.
As a comparison, significantly less
answered “yes” when we asked the
same question in our TMR Outlook
on Expedition Cruises, where 20% of
respondents described themselves
as specialists.
Nearly eight in ten
(77%) SAID THAT
PERSONAL OR AGENCY SALES
HAVE INCREASED
in the past year,
with another 20% saying revenues
were flat.
SIXTY-NINE PERCENT (69%) OF
RESPONDENTS SAID RIVER
CRUISE SALES INCREASED IN THE
PAST 12 MONTHS
with 21% saying
they were flat versus just 4% saying
they saw a decrease, showing the
category was helpful in boosting
sales for advisors.
HALF (50%) OF ALL RESPONDENTS
SAID CLIENTS CHOOSE A
DESTINATION OVER A NEW
VESSEL.
Only 8% said, clients “would
select a newer vessel over an itinerary.”
EIGHTY-SEVEN PERCENT (87%) OF
RESPONDENTS ARE PROJECTING AN
INCREASE IN RIVER CRUISE SALES
IN THE NEXT YEAR,
including 43%
who expect sales to go up by more
than 10%, and 22% who are expecting
gains of more than 25%.
FORTY-TWO PERCENT (42%) SAY
CUSTOMERS “GENERALLY AREN’T
FAMILIAR WITH THE RIVER CRUISE
LINES OR SHIPS,
and they come to
me for my recommendations.”
TWENTY-FIVE (25%) OF AGENTS
told us customers “wouldn’t have
considered a river cruise if I hadn’t
recommended it to them.”
THE MOST COMMON TRAIT AMONG
RIVER CRUISE CUSTOMERS
is they
are well traveled (81%), said the
agents who took our survey. Sixty-
four percent (64%) said, “They want
inclusive travel that includes meals
such as guided tours and cruises,” an
equal number (64%) said, “They also
travel independently.”
Eighty-four percent (84%) of advisors
said clients are
“MOST INTERESTED
IN THE DESTINATIONS AND
ITINERARY OF THE CRUISE.”
SIXTY-TWO PERCENT (62%) SAID
CLIENTS OFTEN COMBINE PRE-OR
POST-CRUISE LAND VACATIONS
WITH A RIVER JOURNEY.
“TOO EXPENSIVE” WAS THE TOP
OBSTACLE
(55%) agents said
prevented them from selling more
river cruises.
Boomers (69%) and Luxury
Travelers (63%) who have not
taken a River Cruise before are
“VERY LIKELY” THE BEST NEW
PROSPECTS OVER THE NEXT 24
MONTHS,
say advisors.
Of over 55 companies that sell river
cruises,
40 HAD LESS THAN 50%
AWARENESS WITH THIS AUDIENCE
of heavy sellers in the segment.
AMAWATERWAYS AND VIKING
RIVER CRUISES WERE THE MOST
WIDELY SOLD (85%)
followed by
Avalon Waterways (79%), Uniworld/U
by Uniworld (71%), Tauck River
Cruises (65%), Crystal River Cruises
(64%), American Queen Steamboat
Company (58%), American Cruise
Lines (57%), Emerald Waterways
(52%), Scenic Luxury Cruises
(51%), G Adventures (46%), and
Abercrombie & Kent (41%).
REFERRALS (69%) ARE BY FAR THE
MOST POPULAR WAY AGENTS
PROMOTE RIVER CRUISES
followed
by agency websites (58%), their own
email list (54%), their own social
media (45%), the agency’s social
media (42%), marketing programs
from their consortia (38%), direct
mail (36%), an email list from their
agency (33%), events they host for
potential clients (32%), and consortia
websites (31%).
Agents say more Fam Trips (82%),
followed by content they can share
with their clients (61%) are the
TWO
AREAS THEY WOULD LIKE MORE
SUPPORT FROM SUPPLIERS.