Expedition and river cruising are among the strongest growing segments for Virtuoso agents in Australia, with the group’s local gm Michael Londregan telling CW “luxury cruise is doing very well”.
Speaking yesterday at the launch of a new Virtuoso survey of high net worth travellers conducted in partnership with qualia, Londregan said there are “so many great products” in the luxury cruise segment.
He added expedition cruising is particularly strong, with local sales up 16% year-on-year.
“It’s becoming less about sightseeing and more about gaining a deep understanding of something such as a destination or wildlife,” Londregan said.
Some expedition cruisers are “insatiable” in their thirst for knowledge, he said, with Virtuoso continuing to work aggressively with expedition providers to capture demand in the market.
River cruising is also a fast growing sector, both in Australia and the USA, according to Virtuoso’s founder and chief executive Matthew Upchurch, also at yesterday’s event.
Upchurch said both river and expedition cruising appealed to clients who like to “collect” destinations, with expedition particularly popular because these vessels typically require no infrastructure in order to explore a new port.
Virtuoso has a strong focus on growing the Australian market, having also recently confirmed the local operation will be a regional hub for expansion into Asia this year.
