Riviera Travel hosted its sixth Agent Committee Meeting on Saturday, 7 March. The meeting was held on board Riviera’s MS Geoffrey Chaucer, docked in Amsterdam, ahead of the CLIA RiverView conference beginning on Sunday.
*All details correct at time of publish (12 March 2026)
The biannual meeting brought together 17 leading travel agent partners from across the UK, providing a dedicated discussion, update and feedback session across Riviera’s trade initiatives, marketing, product development, training, trade incentives and digital tools.
Attendees included regular representatives from Premier Travel, Art of Travel, Arrange my Escape, Go Cruise and Travel, TTNG, Hays Travel and Barrhead Travel and first-time representatives from Travel Counsellors, Inteletravel, Designer Travel, IGLU and TUI.
Insights shared during the meeting will help inform Riviera’s ongoing enhancements across its River Cruise and Touring portfolio, alongside continuous improvement for trade service and agent-facing platforms.
By hosting the meeting on board one of their river cruise ships for the first time, Riviera Travel were able to offer agents the opportunity to experience the product first-hand.
Whilst on board the MS Geoffrey Chaucer, partners enjoyed the elegant surroundings of the lounge and bar area, dined in the bistro Riverview kitchen and main restaurant and experienced an overnight stay in the beautiful cabins. A small way for Riviera to say thank you to an exceptional group of agents.
Vicky Billing, Director of Trade & Partnerships UK & Ireland at Riviera Travel, said:
“It was incredibly valuable for us to bring our agent committee members together in our own Riviera environment and show them the product we’re proud to deliver to them and their customers. These meetings are about honest, two-way conversation and accountability and the feedback we received in Amsterdam will directly influence how we continue to support and work with our trade partners going forward. Hosting the meeting ahead of CLIA felt fitting for us to say thank you to our fabulous agents for their continued commitment and collaboration.”
Key themes discussed at the sixth agent committee meeting included:
- New product launches
- Digital agent tools – Riviera Explorer, The Vault & RIVA AI
- Welcome home messaging & incentives
- FAM Trips (including future development)
- Continuous ways of working and collaboration with agent partners
Since 2023, Riviera Travel has hosted Agent Committee Meetings twice yearly to encourage dialogue and collaboration within its travel agent network. The next meeting is scheduled to take place in September 2026.
By actively listening and responding to agent feedback, the leading river cruise and tour operator can continue to shape innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of travel agents and their customers.
Agent Comments:
Jonny Peat, Director of Cruise at Advantage Travel Partnership –
“My first time at the Agent Committee Meeting, and what’s clear to see is that feedback from agents is not only welcomed but also acted upon. Escorted Tours and River Cruises are rapidly growing in popularity and it’s great to see the intent is to grow at scale, through travel agents. Thank you Riviera for your ongoing support to our members.”
Jennifer Lynch, General Manager at Arrange my Escape –
“It’s always encouraging to see tour operators listen to feedback from the trade, but Riviera Travel has taken this a step further by establishing an agent committee. This meeting was also a little different, as it took place onboard the MS Geoffrey Chaucer, bringing the Riviera experience to life for agents.
The ship itself far exceeded my expectations. It was stylish yet relaxed, with a homely feel and a sense of understated luxury throughout. It’s easy to understand why customers return to Riviera time and time again. Vicky Billing and the team delivered a fantastic start to CLIA, and I must admit the experience has genuinely inspired me to consider a river cruise myself.
The committee meetings are always full of useful insights into how Riviera is performing within the trade, while also giving agents a genuine voice. Feedback is not only welcomed but actively acted upon, with the company clearly committed to evolving its product and approach.
It’s a refreshing way of working with travel agents, and perhaps a model other operators should take note of. With such strong collaboration with the trade, it’s easy to see why Riviera continues to experience impressive growth in this sector.”
Agents can get in touch with the Riviera Travel team via agents@rivieratravel.co.uk, join the dedicated Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/rivieratravelagents and access the Riviera Explorer via www.rivexplorer.com.
Click here for more updates from Riviera Travel on Travel Pursuit UK!
