2024 Nearly nine out of 10 advisors said that they sell river cruises. Three in 10 U.S. advisors reported that their clients take river cruises lasting longer than one week. In Canada, the percentage is higher, with four in 10 advisors stating that their clients take river cruises lasting more than a week. 99% of advisors said that their clients prefer a European river vacation. 21% of advisors said that their clients would choose river cruise vacations in the U.S. In Europe, Germany (83%), France (74%) and the Netherlands (61%) are the most selling river cruise destinations. Portugal and Spain are gaining in popularity said four out of 10 advisors. May (56%) and September (62%) are the most popular seasons for river cruising. Eight out of 10 advisors said that having fewer people on board was one of the top reasons why clients chose river cruises. Ease of access to city centers was another reason, said 80% of the advisors. 84% of the advisors said that their clients are well travelled. One out of two advisors said that their clients preferred all-inclusive products. Eight out of 10 advisors said that their clients opted for river cruises based on the itineraries and destination of the cruise and to combine land vacations pre- and post- the river cruise. Itinerary (82%), quality of food and wine (69%), and value for money (64%) were the top factors determining a client’s satisfaction with a river cruise. Nearly nine out of 10 advisors plan to sell to affinity groups in the coming year. Pre- and post-packages (85%) and ground transfers (83%) are the most in-demand products booked, besides river cruises (89%) by river cruise clients. Six out of 10 advisors said that their river cruise clients spent more than other clients. The average per day per person spend has gone up from $796 in 2023 to $931 in the current Outlook. Word of mouth referrals (87%) and current/past clients (79%) are still the best lead generation source in river cruise. Text messaging (97%), emails (95%), and phone calls (95%) were the most used modes for advisors while communicating with clients. Nearly seven out of 10 advisors also conduct video calls to speak to clients. WhatsApp (47%), Facebook Messenger (44%) and Zoom (37%) are the most used instant messaging apps. Eight out of 10 advisors said that they want FAM trips to make higher river cruise sales. Two out of five advisors said that commissions on NCFs would also be better support. Product training (74%) and ship inspections (64%) were the preferred training formats for advisors. Four in five advisors expect to see a growth in sales in the coming year, three out of five advisors expect to see a double-digit growth. One out of two advisors had more than 15 years of experience in the industry. KEY FINDINGS