RIVERview CONFERENCE PREVIEW Clia RiverView Conference 2022, Budapest: River cruise lines and agents to head
C ONFERENCE CLIA
Harmer: River cruise sector has an exciting story to tell
T
he boss of Clia UK & Ireland says the river cruise sector has got “a really exciting story
to tell” after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking ahead of this weekend’s
10th Clia RiverView Conference, Andy Harmer outlined how the trade association wanted ship visits to be “at the heart” of the Budapest event
Andy Harmer
so agents could experience a wide variety of the sector’s product. Around 230 agents will board up
to 10 ships, including new market entrant Tui River Cruises’ Tui Skyla. Harmer said: “This is the first
time the conference has been on the Danube so it gives us the chance to show off more ships than we’ve ever had before. There’s no event where there’s so much new product on show. “Part of what we’ll talk about is
the developments that have been made. River cruise has got a really exciting story to tell.” He said advances in onboard
dining and activities had “fundamentally shifted” across the sector in recent years. “If you look at dining, there was
previously one main dining room; now, most customers want a choice,” he explained. “Operators have also invested in wellness and activities.
Lines demonstrate ‘resilience’ amid the conflict in Ukraine
The river cruise sector has demonstrated how “resilient” it is as ships prepare to start sailing again against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. Andy Harmer, managing
director of Clia UK & Ireland, admitted the ongoing conflict had proved “challenging” for both river cruise lines and the wider travel industry. But he said: “The river cruise
sector has proven its resilience over the past couple of years.
10 17 MARCH 2022 “We have some great examples
of people who have had some great river cruise holidays. It’s a resilient industry.” Harmer added that preparations
by river cruise operators to start 2022 programmes amid the conflict illustrated the sector’s strength. “Our thoughts are with anyone
impacted by the developments in Ukraine,” he stressed. “The fact river cruise is starting
its summer season says a lot about its resilience.”
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Cruise lines have clicked into different demographics.” Harmer said there would be an
international feel at the conference. “We’ve been able to line up
leaders from the global river cruise industry that have been designing river cruises for the future,” he added. Kristin Karst, AmaWaterways’
co-founder and executive vice- chairman; Ellen Bettridge, Uniworld president and chief executive; Marella Cruises managing director Christopher Hackney; and Wolfgang Luftner, co-owner of Luftner Cruises, will all speak at the conference. Agents have been able to sign up
to one of five cruise fam trips that will run after the conference. “It’s important to see what a day
in the life of a river cruise is like,” Harmer said. “They get some of that
experience from a fam trip.” i Full list of ships on show, page 12
Liberty Statue, Budapest
River cruise ships moored next to the Hungarian parliament
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