If you’ve sold a Riviera river cruise or escorted tour this year, your name is in these numbers. The H1 2026 results are out, and they read like a love letter to the trade… so if you’ve had a busy week of enquiries and you weren’t sure it was all adding up, this one’s for you.
The quick read:
- Passengers booked through UK agents are up 27% year-on-year
- Revenue through agents is up 33%
- River cruise passenger numbers are up 33%, revenue up 35%
- Touring passenger numbers are up 10%, revenue up 19%
- Solo ship George Eliot is nearly 40% sold for its first season
- Two new agent tools are now live: Riviera Explorer and Riva AI
What’s Happening at Riviera Travel
Riviera Travel, the escorted touring and river cruise specialist, has shared its mid-year update, and the headline is a warm one. Bookings through UK agents are well ahead of where they were this time last year, and the company is putting that down to one thing: you. “The trade has exceeded expectations,” Riviera said, “with bookings currently ahead of target, clear evidence of the momentum being driven through agent sales.”
Right, let’s break the numbers down a little. River cruise is the standout, with passenger numbers up by a third and revenue climbing slightly higher again. Touring is steadier but still moving nicely, with double-digit growth across both passengers and pounds. Both halves of the business are growing, which is a healthy place for any supplier to be.
A Closer Look
The solo cruise programme is having a particularly good moment. George Eliot, Riviera’s dedicated solo ship, is already nearly 40% sold, and chief executive Matt Luscombe has strongly suggested that another vessel in the river fleet could soon be aimed at solo travellers. Good news? Yes, especially if you’ve got clients on your books who travel alone and have been waiting for more options that don’t carry a single supplement.
It’s worth knowing because solo demand isn’t a passing thing. If Riviera does add a second solo ship, that’s a meaningful piece of inventory entering a part of the market that’s been crying out for it.
For Client Chats
Two new tools have arrived for agents this year. Riviera Explorer is the new trade platform, and Riva AI is an AI assistant built to help with sales and customer engagement. Both are designed to make your day a little lighter when you’re talking river cruise or escorted touring with a client.
You don’t have to use every tool a supplier puts in front of you, but when something is built with your workflow in mind, it’s worth a look. Riva AI in particular sounds like it could take the friction out of those longer, detail-heavy itinerary conversations.
The Helpful Bit
Amanda Docherty, Head of Trade UK and Ireland, put it plainly: “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.” She went on: “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.”
There’s also a commitment to keep investing in the relationship through the second half of the year, with more support, tools and opportunities promised. Matt Luscombe has been clear about the direction too: Riviera is “number one, we must keep innovating to stay ahead.”
So if you’ve been tucking Riviera into your river cruise and touring conversations this year… these numbers say that effort is showing up. Keep going.
