Vienna – River cruise continues to grow, and the cruise route says that European rivers have room for expansion. That was the message at the ASTA River Expo, where River Cruise executives held more than 1,600 travel consultants.
Jiuhe Cruise takes 15 ships to Vienna for the fourth annual event. The executives talked about The new ship is coming this year Next on the horizon is the Celebrity River cruise, which will begin sailing in 2027 and bookings will be open this year.
“There is still room for expansion,” said Rudi Schreiner, co-founder and CEO of Amawaterways. “I think there is a bright future. There will be new entities entering the market. The more, the happier it is. Everyone brings some new ideas, and so on.”
But growth is not without challenges. Viking CEO Torstein Hagen said docking space is a “critical resource” that may take years to secure. Schreiner raised concerns about public office in the village.
Steve Spivak, vice president of global sales and retention for Tauck, discussed the impact of tourism on small communities in an interview at the event, and said the river “must take a closer look at how we manage the impact on our destination.”
“The last thing you want is a situation where locals no longer benefit from the rivers,” Spivak said.
Kristin Karst, co-founder and chief brand ambassador of Amawaterways, said working with destinations is a priority.
“We want to make sure to establish partnerships with villages and countries in the most meaningful and purposeful way, and of course, our achievements become theirs,” Custer said.
With the rapid expansion, the operator’s mission is to bring more travelers into river cruises. Michelle Palma, executive vice president of North America at Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, said there was a chance to lure marine cruisers.
“I often say that when you cruise, you go to the heart of the country, but when you do a river cruise, you travel the arteries of the country,” she said.
Travel + Casual News Director Paul Brady said in a panel hosted by Travel Weekly Arnie Weissmann that attending River Cruise is like “living in a fabulous hotel in the heart of European cities where I can immediately walk out of the boat and see something great.”
Brady said when he rode his first river cruise, he realized the value of a European tour through the waterway.
“I think we need to do a better job – as a media, as a consultant, as an industry – convey what it looks like,” he said.
