Tickets go on sale for Clia River Cruise Conference

Tickets are now on sale for the sixth Clia River Cruise Conference in Amsterdam.

Seven ships, including four which are new to the event, will be showcased in the Dutch capital.

More than 275 delegates, including around 200 travel agents, are expected to attend the Conference which takes place November 20 and 21.

The four ships making their debut are Amadeus Cruises’ Amadeus Silver III, Tauck’s Grace, Riviera Travel’s William Shakespeare and Emerald Waterways’ Emerald Dawn.

These will be joined by CroisiEurope’s Lafayette, Shearing’s Da Vinci and Uniworld’s Antoinette.

The first Clia River Cruise Excellence Awards are also being presented on Saturday 19 November with the award evening being hosted on board Tauck’s new Inspiration-class ship.

There are eight awards covering: Best River Cruise Newcomer, Best Overall Performance North & South; Best Marketing Promotion – Online, Retail & Homeworker; River Cruise Ambassador of the Year and 2016 Clia River Cruise Agent of the Year.

Andy Harmer, Clia Europe VP operations, said: “We have seen many river ships launched in the past year with more to come. There is so much investment being made in new, innovative ships and the ever-increasing choice and diversity of itineraries in Europe and further afield means it’s no surprise that more UK passengers than ever are opting for river cruises as their holiday choice.

“The River Conference offers travel agents a unique opportunity to see firsthand so many different styles of river ship and to hear from key speakers on the latest industry developments. And I’m delighted that our first ever River Cruise Awards will recognise innovation, expertise and an overall contribution to the success of this sector.