Year-to-date results show passengers booked through UK agents have increased by 27% year-on-year, while revenue has grown by 33%, Riviera reported. River cruise continues to lead the way for Riviera, with trade passenger numbers up by 33% year-on-year and revenue by 35%.
Riviera said the results showed how confident agents are about recommending the company to their customers. It added growth had been supported by the "strong performance" of its solo river cruise programme, which has seen Riviera launch its first dedicated ship for solos and add more solo traveller capacity.
Chief Executive Matt Luscombe recently told TTG how Riviera's dedicated solo ship – George Eliot – was nearly 40% sold and strongly suggested another vessel in the river fleet could soon be aimed at solo passengers soon.
Touring has also delivered solid growth, with passenger numbers rising by 10% and revenue by 19%, as agents continue to drive demand across both European and long-haul programmes.
Riviera said: "The trade has exceeded expectations, with bookings currently ahead of target, clear evidence of the momentum being driven through agent sales. Peak booking periods further reinforced this, with again another record-breaking year for Riviera Travel."
The launch of trade platform Riviera Explorer and AI assistant, Riva AI, which offer agents "smarter, more accessible tools to support sales and customer engagement", have also contributed to this strong mid-year performance, Riviera added.
Agents 'fully embracing' Riviera's innovations
Amanda Docherty, Head of Trade UK and Ireland at Riviera Travel, said: “These results are a true reflection of the strength of our partnerships across the trade, and we’re incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from our agent community.
"Seeing such strong growth across both passenger numbers and revenue is hugely encouraging and highlights the confidence agents have in Riviera Travel and our product portfolio.
"Our partners have fully embraced everything we’ve introduced – from enhanced tools to commercial initiatives – and their passion and expertise have been instrumental in driving this success."
She added: "We remain committed to investing in our trade relationships and ensuring agents have the support, tools and opportunities they need to maximise every sale as we move into the second half of the year.”
