The river cruise industry's efforts to attract a broader passenger base appear to be working.
According to the latest trends reports from travel advisor groups, there is growing demand both for new ships being launched and the more diverse range of excursions being offered by river and ocean cruise companies.
Travel Leaders Group, in its 2019-2020 travel trends survey of more than 400 Travel Leaders Group advisors, said that European river cruising ranked fourth in international destinations booked in 2019, behind only Italy (3), Cancun (2) and Caribbean (1) cruising in popularity.
And for 2020, Travel Leaders expects river cruising to beat out even Caribbean cruising. The group said the top 10 international destinations its customers are interested in traveling to are Australia, the U.K., Canada, Italy, Greece, Ireland, European river cruises, Caribbean cruises, French Polynesia and Mediterranean cruises.
According to the survey, more than half (56%) of travel agents foresee booking a luxury river cruise in 2020.
In its cruise trends report, Virtuoso attributed growing demand for cruising overall to changes being made by the industry to adapt to traveler demand for more experiences.
"Cruising used to be considered more passive, but lines have overcome that misperception with more time in port and experiences that are unique to the destination," said Beth Butzlaff, vice president of cruise sales at Virtuoso. "Passengers want to enjoy the essence of these places through interactions with local people and culture, and the industry has responded with innovative offerings to satisfy evolving preferences."
In river cruising, Virtuoso said cruise lines featuring U.S. sailings are also flourishing, "with American Queen's Mississippi River cruises in particularly high demand."
"The appeal extends beyond Americans, as Australians who want to cruise the legendary river are also booking voyages. Another trending U.S. river is the Pacific Northwest's Columbia, with cruises offered by American Queen and UnCruise."