At the start of this week, the River Cruise Convention 2013 was held in Cologne, where cruise lines and agents got together to discuss the industry, future destinations and more. And there were some interesting quotes from Rudi Joham, the senior vice president of Luftner Cruises.
He said “River cruise is here to stay. It isn’t a trend. River cruise has a long history and it is maturing. New rivers will come online. Right now is not the ultimate, there is more to come. The best is yet to come for river cruise.”
Now that’s something I thought was very interesting. The number of river cruise passengers is increasing every year, and the same applies in 2013 even despite the reduction in itineraries offered on the Nile, one of the more popular rivers, with the unrest in Egypt.
So where does the river cruise industry go now? How does it get bigger and better? We’ve already seen some of the most luxurious ships on the waters, there’s not much else that can be done to make ships more comfortable. And the majority of navigable rivers are offered – there aren’t too many yet to be explored.
So the questions then are:
- Does ship design change to open up even more rivers, including those that currently remain inaccessible?
- Does the industry become more open to new demographics, with targeted ships for families or younger cruisers?
I can’t say much on the first question, if I’m honest, because I don’t know which rivers are deep enough to sustain research to allow ships to sail on them. And with the second point, I’ve already written a blog about river cruise ships targeting families.
But younger adults in their 20s and 30s is definitely an untapped market, in my eyes. Even if it’s some form of more upmarket backpacking.
I don’t want to sound like I’m suggesting cheap flimsy ships serving school-dinner quality meals. But you’ve probably heard of glamping – glamorous camping. How about something which offers a mid-market option for people who want to explore Europe and further afield but don’t need gourmet dining, or other luxuries that current ships include.
What do you think about the way the world of river cruising is going? Would you be interested in any rivers around the world that aren’t currently offered by major cruise lines? Let us know your thoughts.
By Ian Lewis
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