Future of river cruising bright

India’s long-forgotten inland waterways have caught the eye of travel innovators. Prominent luxury travel planners talk about the potential of the up-and-coming segment of luxury river cruising in India.

Reena Sachdev, Founder, Travel Arena

The potential of river cruising in India is immense, even better in current times when travellers prefer intimate and impactful vacations and holiday options. Small is better, safe, hygienic and more boutique. River cruises are more compact with fewer people and easy to control with better contingency plans in place. So, naturally, river cruising is a good prospect in comparison to ocean or sea cruising. Indian travellers will adapt to this mode of tourism.

Kaushal Bhuva, Founder, World of Vacations

The segment is poised to go a long way with the emergence of good, reliable brands offering an ultimate cruising experience. There are tailor-made luxury river cruise itineraries available to excite any seasoned traveller. It’s just that they need to be sold in a more precise manner, highlighting the activities and experiences travellers will enjoy and gain on the river cruise. In current times, a slow-paced itinerary is ideal.

Kunal Jain, Director, Spectrum Holidays

India as a market is really evolving, as a lot of people want to experience new things and many of them even want to be first-movers so they can do certain things and others can follow. I think, river cruising in India can be sold as a family adventure or a charter where people can book the whole cruise for a certain period of time for a special occasion. This segment has the potential to evolve, and many travellers will come forward to experience it.

Jinali Nakhat, Director, Travellers Paradise

I think, the current time is absolutely fantastic to promote river cruising in India because right now, people are looking for such products where social distancing is taken into consideration. A river cruise fits best as a private, enriching experience where one can comfortably have a family get-together or a group of 50 together. I believe Indian travellers will opt for it. This is a good product to sell right now.

Inputs by Manas Dwivedi