Editor's Note: The 2025 River Cruise Expo is currently sold out, with a total of
1,500 attendees registering within 48 hours. Advisors interested in attending the expo can join the waitlist.
On March 13, 12 river cruise ships across nine brands docked side-by-side in Amsterdam, serving as a home base for the travel advisors and supplier partners headed to the city for the American Society of Travel Advisors’ (ASTA)River Cruise Expo.
Now in its third year, the expo has seen tremendous growth since its debut in 2022, when it welcomed 500 attendees in Budapest, Hungary (this year’s event attracted more than 1,300).
For 2024, the four-day event — which took place March 13-17 — included general sessions with supplier presentations and panels; educational workshops; open house-style ship tours; a one-day tradeshow featuring 50 partners; and excursions throughout Amsterdam. Many attendees will also participate in post-event fam cruises onboard the 12 vessels. Amadeus River Cruises, AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Riverside Luxury Cruises, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours/Emerald Cruises and Viking are returning partners, while Riviera River Cruises, Tauck and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises have joined this year.
“This week is a unique opportunity to experience not one, not two, but 12 river cruise ships across nine top brands,” said Zane Kerby, president and CEO of ASTA, during the event’s opening address. “The knowledge you gain, and the connections you make, will energize your business in powerful ways.”
“The best definition for ‘power’ I’ve found in our modern world is answering these two questions: ‘Who can you call?’ and ‘What will they do?’ These next two days will help you answer those questions for your clients better than before,” he said. “The firsthand product knowledge you’re getting here sets you apart in this growing industry — especially at a time when so many think they are travel experts because of a few thousand Instagram followers.”
The firsthand product knowledge you’re getting here sets you apart in this growing industry — especially at a time when so many think they are travel experts because of a few thousand Instagram followers.
In addition to rubbing shoulders with cruise line representatives and learning the latest product news and trends in river cruising, ASTA members had the opportunity to attend the March 13 christening ceremony for Riverside Debussy, the newest vessel from Riverside Luxury Cruises. Additionally, free cruises were given out during the course of the conference. And Viking’s Michele Saegesser, vice president of sales and national accounts, announced her upcoming retirement after 45 years working in the travel industry.
During the event, ASTA introduced its inaugural River Cruise Advisor of the Year award, sponsored by AmaWaterways, which went to Diane Frisch of Diane Frisch Destinations. When choosing the honoree, judges took into account the nominee’s percentage of river cruise business (compared to other business), total 2023 sales, year-over-year growth in the segment between 2022 and 2023 and future cruises booked for 2024-2025. Applicants were also asked to write a personal statement highlighting their special achievements.
“I am really happy that so many of our members are finding value in coming here and experiencing the unique value proposition of each one of these ships,” Kerby said. “They're going to go home much more confident in the things that they recommend.”
Zane Kerby, president and CEO of ASTA, gave the event’s opening address.
Credit: 2024 ASTAA Growing Interest in River Cruising
As evidenced by the event’s growth over three short years, river cruising is rising to become a top niche in travel. Alex Pinelo, senior vice president of sales for AmaWaterways, says the expo is a must-attend for the river cruise line to get in front of travel advisors who are new to selling the product.
“I think the expo has elevated the awareness of river cruising to travel advisors,” he said. “They're fairly compensated — many times we like to say that our commission checks have commas in them — and we love the fact that these advisors are investing money in their education to learn more about a segment of the industry that’s growing. At the expo, they're getting over a year's worth of education, in just that short period of time, because they’re seeing all the different brands.”
Many times, we like to say that our commission checks have commas in them.
“While there's not a bad river cruise company out there, we are different and we like to show our differences,” he added. “Not only show them, but let [advisors] touch, feel and taste everything that we have to offer onboard.”
Kristie Keller, president of Addicted to Adventures, attended the expo for the first time last year.
“I decided to come to the expo last year because I heard about the ‘commissions with a comma’ and met Marcus [Leskovar, executive vice president for] Amadeus,” she said during a peer-to-peer learning panel moderated by Jackie Friedman, board chair for ASTA and president of Nexion Travel Group.
That first interaction led to a spike in her river cruise business, specifically with groups.
“I learned about groups while at the expo, and was posting pictures to a private Facebook group [for my business]. I now have a group going in May with over 45 people, and currently have five other groups [on the books].”
Meeting Leskovar at the expo was “instrumental in growing my career,” she says.
And with more advisors selling the product, there comes an influx of new-to-river clients, as well. Jennifer Halboth, CEO of Riverside Americas for Riverside Luxury Cruises, is hoping to attract “river-curious” travelers and get away from the perception that river cruising is only for an older demographic.
“There’s always these misconceptions you’re trying to break down to encourage people to try new things,” she said. “It’s about mindset. We have to [break this] together. We need advisors to recommend river cruising to younger [clients]. There’s also a misconception that river cruising is really rigid, but it’s the most flexible style [of travel].
Twelve ships docked at Amsterdam’s pier and hosted travel advisors onboard during the conference.
Credit: 2024 ASTA“I think that it's such an elegant way to see Europe," said ASTA's Kerby. "And when you're awakened to this idea that you can go and see five or six aspirational places in Europe — and the friction of getting to all those places is taken out by the river cruise company — I think that's why it's becoming more of an easy sell in the United States, and why so many age groups than ever are embracing river cruising."
Opportunities for Peer-to-Peer Collaboration
The event also featured numerous opportunities for peer-to-peer learning via panel discussions, workshops and networking parties. During the conference, travel advisors swapped social media marketing tactics, spoke on the importance of forming strong advisor-BDM relationships, gave advice on booking groups on the rivers and more.
“One of the things I always love is for you to learn from your peers, and hopefully be inspired by them,” said Nexion’s Friedman, addressing attendees. “And I’m a believer of doing something differently when returning from an event.”
During a panel discussion on how to convert first-time river cruisers, moderator Nicole Edenedo, senior editor at Travel Weekly, asked seasoned sellers what they hoped expo attendees would take away from the event.
“Maybe not every person you talk to will be converted to a river cruiser, but always ask,” advised Maria Evangelista, travel designer at JMJ Travel Services. “Open yourself and others up to this great industry, and I’m sure you’ll be surprised about what comes to you.”
“There’s no such thing as a one-time river cruiser,” added travel advisor Donna Manz. “And it’s never the same sailing twice. I tell [people] that whatever river you are on, the next time you are on that river, try a different excursion. Even though there are five dominant rivers in Europe, you won’t run out of [options].”
Trends for 2025 and Beyond
River cruise suppliers also took the stage to share the latest news and updates from the represented lines, which included new ship announcements and trends in the segment.
Top trends include longer, extended itineraries; an increased interest in off-season travel; growth in the solo and family travel markets; and a focus on sustainability. (Amadeus’ newest ship, Amadeus Nova, which will be christened in June 2024, will feature a hybrid diesel/electric propulsion system.)
Other Announcements From ASTA
Kerby used the event’s March 14 general session as a chance to share several updates regarding ASTA’s industry efforts.
The association is making significant investments in its ASTA Verified Travel Advisor (VTA) Program, which launched in 2017 with eight online courses and exams. It now comprises four core modules: Ethics for Travel Advisors, Legal Overview for the Travel Agency Industry, U.S. Travel Agency Regulatory Compliance, and Agency Relationships and the Law. ASTA will also begin tracking the VTA graduates’ time in the industry, along with their sales. (Since the program’s inception, there has never been a consumer complaint made against a verified advisor.)
“The barriers to entry in our industry have been far too low for far too long,” Kerby said. “Sadly, people who have never even left the country can sell travel with no real experience because someone gave them a card with a number on it. But this industry cannot continue to thrive without a recommitment to education, ethics and professionalism.”
The barriers to entry in our industry have been far too low for far too long. Sadly, people who have never even left the country can sell travel with no real experience because someone gave them a card with a number on it.
Additionally, VTA participants will receive credit for taking elective courses and attending ASTA events, such as the expo. A public relations campaign will also soon launch in the form of a new digital video series featuring VTAs and clients.
Finally, Kerby encouraged the advisors in the room to register for May’s Travel Advisor Conference (the rebranded ASTA Global Convention), which will feature tennis superstar Venus Williams as the keynote speaker.
Register for Next Year's Expo
ASTA’s River Cruise Expo for 2025 will take place from March 12-15, 2025. Currently, the event will feature 15 ships across nine lines, in Vienna, Austria (with the final lineup of brands and ships to be revealed later this year). Advisors interested in registering for the event must have active ASTA membership.
