River cruising tops Virtuoso’s ‘Dreams’ list

Many home-based travel agents know it already: river cruises
are popular and growing even more popular. A recent Virtuoso survey confirms it
and also adds potential that may boost the industry segment even more: multigenerational
travel.

In Virtuoso’s 2015 Travel Dreams Survey, European river or
canal cruise ranked No. 1 in Trips of a Lifetime for the first time.

“River cruising’s popularity has skyrocketed over the past
five years with fleet expansions galore,” said Marika Cain, managing editor for
Virtuoso Life, the agency network’s magazine, where the survey results
appeared.

The popularity of multigen vacations, meanwhile, is the
continuation of a trend started some years ago but is now “huge,” said Cain.

“Virtuoso travel advisers say it’s the biggest trend to
impact their business in years,” she said. “Boomer-age grandparents are
traveling with their own children, who in turn have their own kids now.”

The two trends, growth in river cruising and multigen
travel, are combining, she said, noting Crystal Cruises’ recent announcement of
its expansion to river cruises and AmaWaterways’ new alliance with Disney. In
previous years, the segment attracted an older demographic segment.

“River cruise lines are responding to the spike in multigenerational
travel by expanding their family-friendly offerings. Cruising is an easy way to
take the whole family along; it provides a good balance of freedom and
togetherness, with entertainment and activity choices for everyone.”

In other findings, Australia topped the list again as No. 1
“dream destination,” followed by Italy, New Zealand, France and Greece.

“Australia is the fastest-growing destination for luxury
travelers, according to sales data from Virtuoso,” Cain said. “Virtuoso
agencies report bookings are up 137% from the same time period last year.”

Increased airlift from North America has played a role, she
added. Qantas has expanded its route from the U.S. and announced a new
partnership with American to increase routes even more.