Scenic river tours to be aimed at younger travellers

River cruise company Scenic is making steps to reach out to the younger demographic and more active travellers for their river cruises through Europe, including launching an ultra-luxury yacht for 2018.

The yacht, named Scenic Eclipse, will be sailing not just through Europe but the Mediterranean, Americas, Antarctic and Atlantic waters, featuring a submarine and two on-board helicopters. These extra features will allow its guests to access places the cruise ship cannot access.

Scenic has also seen an increase in younger travellers looking to go on river cruises, for this summer and into next year.

Jeannie Kutz, Scenic’s regional manager in the US, said: “Our ships are very contemporary, very comfortable – and we are seeing the growth of intergenerational groups in a very profound way.”

Scenic offer handheld devices uploaded with over 100 pre-planned tours, so guests can follow their own tour when ships stop at places along their river cruise routes. For example, the wine-themed tours along the Douro in Portugal, and cultural stops in Eastern Europe along the Danube.

Scenic is attracting the younger generations with less-expensive cruises and itineraries on its Emerald Waterways brand, which encourage the travellers to explore on their own and have a mini adventure without a detailed tour guide.

Kutz is hoping other river cruise companies join them in targeting the 20-30-year old demographic, as the younger customer base begins to grow.

You can book some amazing Scenic river cruises through Europe with Global River Cruising, and there are a number of other cruise companies offering a range of fantastic itineraries and budgets suitable to your needs and preferences.

Photo by: Karl Gruber