IGNITE Travel Group’s new My Cruises River Collection (CW 02 Sep) is already seeing dividends on its mission to dispel misconceptions about river cruising, with the division’s General Manager Michael Middleton telling CW the younger demographic is leading the way in terms of bookings. Keen to allay misapprehensions river cruising...
IGNITE Travel Group’s new My Cruises River Collection (CW 02 Sep) is already seeing dividends on its mission to dispel misconceptions about river cruising, with the division’s General Manager Michael Middleton telling CW the younger demographic is leading the way in terms of bookings.
Keen to allay misapprehensions river cruising is expensive and only caters toward an older demographic, Middleton said the presentation of the product had thus far helped My Cruises win over nontraditional clientele.
“We’re actually seeing a younger demographic of passenger than we are on some of our ocean bookings,” he said.
“It really shows that by presenting it in the way that we do, it’s really attracting some of those younger clientele that is wanting to experience those kind of destinations.”
Pressed on why he thought river cruising may prove popular with a younger audience, Middleton pointed to the changing nature of the industry and its product offering over the past 18-24 months, with lines looking to cast the net even wider in the future.
“A lot of the river operators now are focusing on not just the standard style of travel, they’re offering more active shore excursions as well.
“There’s often more included than a standard ocean cruise, and when we showcase our advertising, we push that out to the consumer, we really try to talk about the value in the inclusions of a package, not just the price.”
Middleton said he is already really pleased with how the River Cruise Collection is tracking from a sales standpoint.
