Ensemble Travel Group has officially welcomed its newest river cruise partner, AmaWaterways, to the organization’s network of preferred suppliers.
Speaking recently in San Diego at its annual conference, Ensemble Co-President Lindsay Pearlman announced the new partnership in a closed session before an audience of several hundred agency owners and managers.
“AmaWaterway’s upper premium product has been a popular river cruise option for some of our members for years, so we’re delighted to officially bring them on board already with an impressive book of Ensemble business,” said Pearlman. “Ama is family-owned and they’re very involved in all aspects of the operation. This fits nicely with our Ensemble philosophy. And the fact that they’re huge supporters of the travel agency community is another plus.”
River cruising continues to be a popular vacation option for many Ensemble Travel Group members in the U.S. and Canada. In the recently released survey of its membership, Ensemble Insights, 49 percent of respondents forecast an increase in river cruise bookings next year compared to 2016. Thirty-seven percent expect bookings to be the same as 2016; and 14 percent expect a decrease. Although specific destinations were not queried for river cruising, overall Europe books appear to be rebounding as 46 percent of the participants expect an increase in the year ahead, compared to an anticipated decrease expected by 49 percent of respondents for Europe bookings in 2016.
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