‘We’re so much more than just a river cruise line’, says Uniworld managing director

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is urging agents to view it as more than just a river cruise line as it increases its focus on longer journeys that incorporate rail travel.

The operator launched its Ultimate European Journeys programme in July, having “observed a significant trend towards longer and more immersive journeys”, and today unveiled a standalone rail and river cruise brochure.

UK and Europe managing director Chris Townson said the operator was “trying to innovate the market and shake things up” with its product as he reported robust trading figures for the year.

More:Uniworld debuts standalone rail and river cruise brochure

The company is up by 19% on passenger numbers and 22% on revenue so far in 2024 compared with 2023, which was a record year, thanks in part to a “boom” in long-haul bookings.

“The evolution of the company has been unbelievable over the past few years,” said Townson. “We’ve invested in the product and development and we’re working hard with our trade partners to get that out to their customers.”

Townson pointed to a recent survey carried out by the company which highlighted 73% of Uniworld’s customers are interested in luxury rail and land journeys, which he described as a “massive growth market”.

The survey also found customers prefer longer-duration trips, with 52% saying their preference is between 8-12 nights, compared with 23% who said their optimal length is seven nights.

He said the company plans to target the segment of the market which wants to incorporate rail to create longer trips with the help of its trade partners.

“From an agent point of view, we’re in a completely different space,” he added. “In one call, they [agents] can book every element of their client’s trip and do it in a way that’s not only on a different level in terms of luxury, but seamlessly connected.

“We’re taking the premise of a cruise and extension and reframing it as one whole holiday that blends different methods of travel together to create a longer, more-immersive experience.”

He added: “We’re in this bubble of ultra-luxury. I would say to agents: don’t think of us as a traditional river cruise company, we’re so far away from that.”

Highlighting the company’s commitment to its trade partners, Townson referenced its Ultra-Luxury Showcase which took place in India in June, during which it hosted 50 agents on a Ganges sailing and Golden Triangle tour.

“Taking that many agents to India is not normal; even top tour operators don’t do that. We have a really open relationship with the trade and that investment is paying off,” he said, before hailing Uniworld’s five-night Golden Triangle tour as the “best in the market”.

Looking ahead to 2025, Uniworld is already up on this year by 22% in terms of passengers and 31% in revenue.

In long-haul sales specifically, Uniworld is up 25% on passengers and 40% on revenue for next year.

The company’s Spectacular Journeys range is almost completely sold out for the first half of 2025 and there is only about 20% of capacity remaining for the second half.

“We’ve seen a shift back to traditional booking patterns. People are booking earlier and making sure they’ve got those big-ticker trips lined up,” said Townson.

“Every trading call I have at the moment is unbelievable and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. I’m really excited for the year ahead.”