What to expect at ACTA's River Cruise Summit with Avalon Waterways

One hundred and thirty Canadian travel advisors will soon join Avalon Waterways’ European River Cruise Summit, in partnership with the Association of Canadian Travel Advisors (ACTA).

The event and custom charter cruise for Canadian trade will set sail from Amsterdam on a seven-day “Romantic Rhine” itinerary taking place October 21-28, 2023.

Travel advisors will not only have the chance to experience elevated cruising with Avalon, they will be invited to navigate and customize their journey, from start to finish, with Avalon Choice excursions.

While on board, they can also partake in workshops and special events to ignite inspiration and business opportunities before disembarking in Basel, Switzerland.

As noted in a press release Tuesday (Aug. 15), the onboard workshops planned for the event include:

A New Wave in Cruising: Set Sail with Avalon Waterways. Learning more about the Avalon Waterways difference (on top of what they will experience first-hand, on trip).

Jump Ship!: Introducing River Cruising to Ocean Cruise Clients. Tailoring the sales approach from oceans to rivers while addressing advantages as well as misconceptions.

Navigating New Waters: Finding the Right River Cruise Clients. Exploring research findings that provide valuable insights into this new wave in cruising, the right guests and ways to get them on board.

Set Sail for Success: The Power & Profitability of Groups. Gaining valuable insights and proven strategies for effectively marketing and selling river cruises to groups while maximizing earning potential.

Going Against the Stream: The Evolution of Touring. Shifting from the waters of Europe to on land-exploration, here’s a chance to learn about the evolution of touring and opportunities to combine and bundle river cruises with tours.

“Recognizing that river cruising is the fastest growing travel option across the globe, it’s clear that a new wave in cruising is on the world’s rivers,” said Wendy Paradis, ACTA's president. “Through our first River Cruise Summit with Avalon Waterways, we look forward to providing a great networking opportunity for Canadian travel advisors as well as the chance to learn for themselves why river cruising provides a great opportunity for them to really grow their business.”

Both Paradis and Pam Hoffee, president of Avalon Waterways – as well as a host of leaders from both organizations – will sail aboard the Avalon Vista that week to spend time with travel advisors, lead presentations and share the entire experience.

Off their Suite Ship, advisors and their hosts will spend time in Amsterdam, Cologne, Koblenz, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Colmar, and Breisach before disembarking in Basel.

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