Scenic Group has conducted a survey to assess the river and small boat cruise market, survey travel advisers.
The responses from nearly 500 travel advisors in the United States show a strong desire from their clients for both types of cruises, both through the use of future travel credits due to trip cancellations and new bookings, according to a statement.
While cruises and tours in North America lead the way for the rest of 2020 according to the survey, the shift to northern Europe and the Arctic regions returns to equity by 2021.
Flexibility with booking terms, refundable deposits, cancellation refunds, and final payments to be made closer to departure are just as important to travel advisor clients as destinations and cruise lines that truly offer fares all inclusive.
More than 60% of travel consultants noted that river cruises represent between 25% and 50% of all their cruise reservations, and 75% of advisers are viewing cruise reservations for small ships (250 passengers or less ) that grow to more than 25% of your cruise business.
Agents report that 34% of their clients want to convert canceled or suspended vacation reservations into a small boat cruise. This choice is followed by an independent 30% trip.
Most important to all travelers are the security concerns surrounding COVID-19. The top three responses in order (55% of respondents) to those concerns are “the need to know the ship’s response protocols for any outbreaks on board,” “to know the proactive security measures the cruise line is taking to prevent outbreaks “and” how the onboard experience will change, including food service. ” In the same vein, your clients are looking for peace of mind when it comes to flexibility in booking and when it will be safe to navigate again.
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