New Deal Europe Weekly Update on Tourism to the Balkan Region, Week 22
News from the market: River Cruising
In this week’s New Deal Europe interview we look at River Cruising, which, over the last 10 years, has been the tourism sector seeing the most rapid growth. We chat with Lucia Rowe, Managing Director of A-ROSA River Cruises UK & Ireland, about the impact of Covid on river cruising across Europe and the Balkans, and the company’s plans for post Covid sustainable growth.
NDE: Can you tell us about A-ROSA and it’s place in the market?
LR: A-ROSA River Cruises sails on various European rivers, including the mighty Danube, and we are the brand leader in our home market of Germany. For almost 20 years, A-ROSA has been shaking off the formal image of river cruising to create a fun, relaxed and refreshingly different way to sail. Our voyages are designed for families, groups and couples alike. We offer cruises from four nights upwards and itineraries have been designed to give as much time in each port as possible, balanced with spectacular daytime cruising. I can say that we offer great value, laidback voyages which combine all of the highlights of this beautiful way to travel with all of the flexibility and choice that many guests want whilst on holiday.
NDE: …and your role within the company?
LR: Several years ago we decided to create an international product, targeting new markets such as the UK, Australia, Spain etc. I am the managing director of our UK and Ireland arm, responsible for a small team made up of sales, PR and marketing experts who focus on promoting and selling our products to the UK market.
NDE: How does your team sell A-ROSA in the UK market? Who are you targeting?
LR: A-ROSA are unique here in the UK in that we only sell via our tour operator and travel agent partners, not direct to the consumer. This means we are 100% committed to the travel trade and work very closely with all our partners to promote our cruises through their channels.
NDE: Can you tell us which destinations can be visited on your cruises?
LR: A-ROSA sail some of the most beautiful rivers of Europe — the Rhine, Main and Moselle, the Danube, the Rhone, the Seine and Saone and the Douro. Each river offers something a little different to excite guests — from the big cities of the Danube and the history of the Seine, to the fairytale castles and rolling hills of the Rhine and the vineyards and villages of the Douro.
NDE: And how important is the Balkan region for you?
LR: River cruising is what we are all about. As a specialist in Europe’s rivers, our knowledge of these waterways and their surroundings is second-to-none, and we make it our mission to ensure every guest is able to explore the areas we visit to the absolute fullest.
The Danube runs through the Balkan region and is hugely important to us. For first-time river cruisers, sailing on the Danube is one of the most popular choices and it is our number one selling river here in the UK. It offers big cities to explore, but on some itineraries it also offers the chance to go further, to discover smaller regions and towns as you head towards the Black Sea. My first ever cruise was on the Danube and I was hooked immediately!
NDE: Looking at the industry today, cruising was the first tourism sector to be affected by the pandemic. How was river cruising impacted?
LR: The travel industry has been terribly affected by the COVID-19 crisis and river cruises were of course not exempt from it. A handful of river cruise lines, including A-ROSA, were able to briefly start the 2020 season in early March when Coronavirus had just begun to show its challenges. These select few lines understood the importance of preparing for what was ahead and adopted a new set of safety and hygiene protocols very early in the year. When the crisis fully hit, and once all guests and crew were safely back in their home destinations, river cruise lines had time to develop these enhanced protocols even further and get ready for when they could restart. This summer our cruises have resumed and we successfully sailed up until new lockdown restrictions were imposed at the end of October.
We have proven that river cruising can still be an amazing experience and that customers are having a great time and cruising confidently under our new protocols.
NDE: Are there any things you needed to change in order to give people confidence to book with you?
LR: We created an extensive new health and hygiene concept that enhances our existing systems. The concept has been created by the A-ROSA Care Team, comprising of both internal and external specialists. This includes the Robert Koch Institute in Germany and Dr Jens Tülsner, founder and CEO of Marine Medical Solutions, who has also been appointed as fleet doctor for the entire fleet. Measures put in place include: social distancing protocols for the entire ship, enhanced cleaning procedures; the wearing of mouth and nose coverings in some public spaces; pre-screening and temperature checks prior to embarkation; meals to be served at tables, at set times and excursion participant numbers will be reduced. In addition, all A-ROSA ships are already equipped with an air refreshment system that ensures all cabins and public spaces operate using separate air supplies.
Since we restarted we have learned a lot and become experts at sailing under these new circumstances. Most importantly, we have proven that river cruising can still be an amazing experience and that customers are having a great time and cruising confidently under our new protocols.
NDE: How do you see the recovery in your sector?
LR: Long-term, the industry will bounce back. I am sure people will always want to go on holiday and we will now all feel more grateful for being able to enjoy this special time with friends and family. I believe that going away on holiday will no longer be seen as a ‘given’ and people will appreciate their time away with their loved ones even more. I’m sure holidays, and of course river cruises, will become even more treasured, a real highlight each year and something holidaymakers look forward to more than ever.
NDE: River cruising has been growing in popularity rapidly over the last few years. Has river cruising reached capacity?
LR: Before the pandemic hit, the river cruise sector as a whole was seeing unprecedented growth and whilst we know that this year has been like no other, there will be pent up demand that will need to be met. 2021 and beyond could be a real opportunity for the European river cruise sector as many customers may look to stay closer to home. I believe that there is plenty of innovation planned within the sector and new capacity through new build ships will keep this momentum going for years to come. A-ROSA has opened up river cruising to the younger generations and we are market leaders in family and multi-generational river cruising. Whilst we fully appreciate that river cruising is much more about the destination and the experience, we wanted to make sure everyone, including children, could enjoy it.
NDE: What role is there for sustainable tourism in the sector?
LR: Over recent years much work has been done by river cruise lines in terms of sustainability and it is continually developing. At A-ROSA, we have gone one step further and in 2022 will launch a groundbreaking new ship, featuring new onboard technology to reduce our environmental footprint. Sustainability plays a key role in the new design, as A-ROSA looks to lead the way in lowering emissions and help protect the rivers and cities it travels through. The ship will feature an ‘E-Motion’ concept that allows the ship to switch to battery power when approaching a city and arrive emission-free.
NDE: This is certainly a major development. In what other ways do you see River cruising developing in the future?
LR: I believe we will see more sophisticated, tailor-made products designed with destination and sustainability in mind, which will make the river cruise sector more mainstream, rather than niche. The stigma that river cruising ‘is only for old people’ will also fade away as things develop, exactly as we’ve seen happen with ocean cruising. The safety and security of a river cruise combined with the uncomplicated logistics will persuade many more people to embrace this very relaxing type of holiday.
Sustainability plays a key role in the new design, as A-ROSA looks to lead the way in lowering emissions and help protect the rivers and cities it travels through.
NDE: And finally, what do you think of events like New Deal Europe — dedicated only to a particular region in comparison to bigger events like WTM?
LR: I think smaller, more personalised events like New Deal Europe will be invaluable as companies look at specific areas of their product mix and focus on targeting these. Whilst the big events still have their place, being able to locate and talk to people on a more macro level is always important.
Questions by Robert Dee, co-founder of New Deal Europe, the only travel market platform dedicated to generating business to the Greater Balkan region of Europe. Apply to New Deal Europe Marketplace and Forum 2021 at www.newdealeurope.com.
