The biggest challenge in river tourism may no longer be attracting new travelers, but rather continuing to amaze those who return. Aurélie Feray, founder of AF Fluvial Conseil, shares her insights on this issue.
For a long time, the most beautiful moment of a stopover was the arrival of passengers discovering a territory for the first time, with their curious gaze and amazement. However, over the seasons, it became clear that there was another category of travelers, just as fascinating: those who return.
Understanding the Repeat Travelers
These travelers return because they have kept an excellent memory of their previous cruise. But this loyalty gives rise to a new responsibility: to make them live a new experience, without denying what seduced them the first time. Their way of traveling evolves naturally, and they no longer just visit a destination, but seek to experience it differently.
In river tourism, this logic is slightly different. Of course, travelers rediscover a boat, a crew, a quality of service, and a unique atmosphere that marked their first trip. But they also rediscover a river, cities, villages, heritage, and emotions that made them want to return.
If a customer decides to return to the Seine rather than discover the Rhine, the Danube, the Douro, or the Rhône, it’s because they were seduced not only by the company but also by the territory it allowed them to discover.
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Their loyalty is not solely attached to the boat or the destination, but to the encounter between the two, between the experience lived on board and the one lived on land. This encounter makes loyal travelers particularly special.
The Challenge for Destinations
Each morning, a boat docks, and on board, some passengers discover the Seine for the first time, while others are already on their third, fourth, or fifth cruise on this same river. The company often knows this information, but the destination usually does not.
However, the destination must satisfy everyone, both the discovering traveler and the returning one. The same excursion must convince, on the same day, a first-time visitor amazed by the discovery and a loyal traveler who already knows the classics.
Certain destinations might be tempted to systematically renew excursions, but the must-see sites remain must-see sites. The Seine would not be the Seine without the Eiffel Tower, Giverny, or the D-Day beaches.
These sites are part of the identity of this cruise and are often the reason why travelers chose this itinerary. Removing them in the name of novelty would be a mistake. On the other hand, thinking that they are enough on their own would be just as mistaken. The loyal traveler is not necessarily looking for a new destination but a new way to experience it.
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A traveler who has already admired Giverny might appreciate returning, but they would also be happy to spend more time in Vernon, meet an artisan, discover the banks of the Seine, participate in a local animation, or simply take more time to stroll.
Each territory has stories waiting to be told, and this represents a great opportunity for destinations to respond to the expectations of loyal travelers, not just by enriching excursions but also by better distributing tourist flows, and highlighting local artisans, producers, guides, or events.
By sharing knowledge between destinations and companies, it’s possible to imagine more evolving offers and better anticipate passenger expectations.
Et si le plus grand défi du tourisme fluvial n’était plus seulement d’attirer de nouveaux voyageurs… mais de continuer à émerveiller ceux qui reviennent ?