It’s no secret that the dominant river cruising
demographic is retirees. Older travelers have embraced river cruising
with a fervor that has fueled the segment’s unstoppable growth for the
last several years.
But there doesn't seem to be any obvious reason why river cruising couldn’t appeal to younger travelers, as well.
In an ongoing attempt to widen the market beyond boomers, several river cruise lines -- notably AmaWaterways with its recent partnership
with Adventures by Disney -- have been courting families. But what
about travelers in their 20s, 30s and 40s? What about the Gen Xers and
millennials? Thus far, there really hasn’t been a river cruising product
that caters to that segment of the market.
Some argue that river cruising is too expensive and too inactive for these younger folk. But perhaps G Adventures’ new foray
into the river cruising market is an indication that there could be
some room for more youthful travelers on river cruise ships.
G Adventures, which caters to a younger, more active and often more
budget-oriented traveler, isn’t getting into traditional European river
cruising just yet: the company has offered river itineraries on the Peruvian Amazon, and sailings will start on the
Mekong, Ganges, Amazon and in France’s Burgundy region next year.
But the simple fact that G is dipping its toes in the river cruising
market could indicate the dawn of a new era for river cruising, one
where the booming travel trend isn’t reserved just for seniors anymore.
It will be interesting to see what G Adventures’ version of river
cruising looks like compared with competitors’ river product, and how
and whether river cruising resonates with the G Adventures traveler.
As a 30-something who happens to have been on countless river
cruises, I’ve always thought there was a bit of a missed opportunity in
this market. Yes, the product would require some tweaks. It would help
if the price point were lower and if more free time were built in (two
things that are actually not mutually exclusive). More activities off
the ship and fewer onboard meals included in the price (potentially freeing up passengers' money for dining in town) could help, too.
But otherwise, there really isn’t any reason why the 25-to-45-set
couldn’t, well, get onboard, so to speak. And maybe G Adventures is the
perfect company to extend the gangway to them.