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cover story | river cruising


RStreams evenue


With new ships, itineraries and a growing demand for agent-sold cruises, there’s never been a better time to sell river cruising, says Sam Lewis


WITH MORE THAN 30 riverboats launching this year — 18 from Viking River Cruises alone and two from newcomer Emerald Waterways — river cruising is undoubtedly enjoying a golden era. Te stronghold of river cruising might be in


Europe, but the biggest news lies in Asian waters, where by fall 2015, 11 new ships will sail the Mekong, Irrawaddy and Ganges. Six of them will be luxury all-suite boutique riverboats belonging to new arrival Haimark. Haimark’s primary sales come from operators


and agents, with commission incentives as high as 30%. Tom Markwell, Haimark managing partner and head of sales and marketing, says: “Southeast Asia has grown exponentially. After incidents in Egypt, many major operators began to look for new places to create revenue.” High on many a traveler’s bucket list, the


exoticism of Asia made it an obvious choice, particularly as many Americans aren’t confident enough to travel to such far-flung destinations independently, says Markwell. “While many people book Europe direct, this


part of the world is a travel agent-driven market,” he says. “Certain travelers would never go to Southeast Asia on their own and want mainstream companies they trust to take them there.”


66 | ASTAnetwork | summer 2014 While some ‘backpacker-type’ (two- or three-


star) cruise ships exist, Haimark recognized a gap in the luxury market. “We realized the need for a five-star product. People have a lot of anxiety about traveling to places such as India,” Markwell says. “Tey want to tour during the day with guides, but come back to a floating hotel to enjoy their favorite cocktail and a spacious suite.” Demand for Haimark’s lavish ships are such


that cabins are selling out before they’ve left the boatyard. It’s already sold 95% of its Ganges cruises for 2015 and 2016 and is looking to add one ship a year for the next three to four years, chartering most of its Asian product to operators such as Scenic Tours, Avalon, Vantage and APT. Other new Asia-based ships include Oracella


of Orient Express, AmaWaterways’ all-suite AmaPura, and A&K’s Sanctuary Ananda — all of which will sail the Irrawaddy. “Tere’s huge pent-up demand for Myanmar


(Burma),” says Markwell. “Because there aren’t enough hotels and guides, and the infrastructure is quite stretched, the best way logistically to see the country is from the river, and this will continue for quite some time.” Here we take a look at six of the best upcoming cruises around the world… u


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