Riviera Travel in Line for Rapid Expansion

  Riviera Travel, a cruise and touring specialist, has announced the promotion of Vicky Billing to the role of Director of Trade & Partnerships UK & Ireland, effective immediately. Vicky steps up from her previous position as Head of Trade Partnerships, continuing to report directly to Chief Commercial Officer Robin Shaw.   This promotion comes after a sustained period of exceptional commercial performance, to which Vicky has been instrumental. Since joining Riviera, she has brought a bold, solutions-driven approach, tackling challenges head-on and delivering standout results, including a remarkable almost 50% year-on-year growth in trade business.   "Vicky has reported directly to me for the past year whilst Stuart Milan has focused on our expansion in North America, and her contribution has been transformative" said Robin Shaw, CCO at Riviera Travel. “She’s brought a relentless focus on delivery, challenged us to think differently, and championed the needs of our agent partners. This promotion recognises the scale of her impact and her unwavering commitment to making Riviera Travel the easiest and most rewarding company to do business with.”   Under her leadership, Vicky launched Riviera Explorer, a significant six-figure digital investment aimed at supporting cruise specialists and those new to cruise in deepening their knowledge of Riviera's offering. The tool has helped agents boost confidence and drive bookings, exemplifying her “trade-first” approach.   She has also spearheaded several initiatives including the creation of a 24/7 dedicated trade team, enhanced travel concierge services, and more than 300 trade events and fam trips scheduled for 2025 and including a flagship mega fam to Sri Lanka which took place earlier in June.   Her vision is rooted in collaboration: “I see travel as one big family working together,” Vicky commented. “I’m incredibly proud to step into this role and continue working alongside such a passionate and talented team. Everything we achieve at Riviera is down to the people behind it, and that includes the fantastic travel agents we partner with every day. My focus is simple: be easy to do business with, stay trade-first, and keep driving growth together through brilliant service and standout products.”   An integral part of Vicky’s new role will involve working closely with Country Manager for Ireland, Carrie Day, to significantly grow Riviera’s footprint across the Irish market. Together, they are aiming to increase market share in Ireland by more than 50% over the next 12 months, fuelled by a renewed focus on trade partnerships, tailored marketing support, and elevated service for agents in the region.   Beyond her commercial impact, Vicky is known for her contribution to team culture and wellbeing. She founded the Back in Time For Bed initiative—a support forum for working parents—and remains a visible champion for inclusive leadership. “It’s incredibly important to work for a business that looks after its people,” she says. “With Riviera’s 4.7 Feefo rating, 13+ years of recognition from Which? Travel, and a strong track record of promoting from within, I know I’ve found my travel home.”   Vicky now leads a 24-strong team across the UK and Ireland, covering Trade Sales, Trade Support, Partnerships, Groups & Affinity, Irish Trade, and all related marketing activity.   Shaw concludes:  “Vicky’s leadership is energising. She brings growth and commerciality to everything she touches—and this step up reflects that. She’s known within the business for being dynamic and full of ideas, and I’m excited to see those come to life in this new role. Vicky is great to work with, and we’re lucky to have her steering the ship, so to speak!”   Looking ahead, Vicky has already outlined an ambitious growth strategy for Riviera’s trade channels. With her leadership, the business is set to deepen trade relationships, accelerate innovation, and continue its impressive momentum across the UK and Ireland.

In response to demand for solo holidays, Riviera Travel has launched five new itineraries for 2026. With a significant increase in the number of solo passengers travelling year-on-year, the cruise and tour operator has ambitious plans for the year ahead. Recent findings show that solo travel with Riviera Travel is particularly popular with those aged between 50 and 80 years. Another trend is that at around 80%, the majority of the company’s solo customers are currently female. The Riviera Travel team is keen to encourage more male customers to try a solo holiday. Furthermore, a ‘solo survey’ conducted by Riviera Travel in May 2024 established three key findings: Single person supplements and destination are the most important factors for solo travellers when choosing a holiday provider If destinations and availability were comparable, 64% of customers would prefer to travel on a solo-exclusive trip rather than joining a classic group tour However, more than one third of those surveyed were still happy to travel on a classic group tour, if it meant having a larger range of destinations and departure dates to choose from Data has also shown that Riviera Travel’s repeat rate for solo travellers is higher than average. The company’s Top 10 best-selling solo holidays for the last financial year were all European destinations. “Marrakesh and the Atlas Mountains for solo travellers”, and “South Africa for solo travellers” were the highest performing worldwide itineraries. Riviera Travel’s top 5 solo holidays Classical Spain for solo travellers The Blue Danube River Cruise for solo travellers The Douro, Porto & Salamanca River Cruise for solo travellers Lake Maggiore, Orta & Como for solo travellers Malta Uncovered for solo travellers Vicky Billing, Head of Trade & Partnerships UK & Ireland, said, “We have seen a much higher demand for solo travellers this year, which is great, and to support the trade even further we now pay commission on solo supplements across all our classic tour products.” The new Classic European Solo Tours for 2026 are: Puglia & Basilicata: Lecce, Alberobello & Matera for Solo Travellers - 8 days from £1999 pp Hidden Italy: Padua, Vicenza and Mantua for Solo Travellers - 6 days from £1469 pp Discover Northern Cyprus for Solo Travellers - 8 days from £2499 pp Umbria, Perugia and Assisi for Solo Travellers - 8 days from £2149 pp Tuscany, Florence and Siena for Solo Travellers - 8 days from £2329 pp

Riviera Travel is launching five new premium itineraries for 2026 as part of its European Signature category. Available to book from April 9 2025, this includes tours in France, Montenegro and Albania, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. As well as introducing new routes, it has also refreshed a selection of existing tours within this category. Amongst the new routes are Grand Tours of Montenegro & A Taste of Albania, Provence & The French Riviera, Spain’s Hidden Gems Girona, Zaragoza & Valencia, Southern Spain & Portugal’s Coast, and Italy from Venice as well as The Italian Lakes: Garda, Iseo & Maggiore, and A Taste of Puglia and Basilicata. Will Sarson, Product Director at Riviera Travel, said, "Our new and upgraded Signature itineraries set out to elevate premium touring; offering greater varietyand deeper cultural connections.” The new itineraries and refreshed existing tours for 2026 offer the following premium elements as standard: Small group size with an average of 22 guests Enhanced excursions; more unique and memorable experiences Minimum 4-star hotel rating Carefully selected tour managers, who are experts in their destinations Welcome drinks reception on the first or second evening Enhanced experiences guests can expect on Signature European Tours include: Grand Tour of Madeira the Pearl of the Atlantic: Afternoon tea at Reid's Palace, a historic hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, with freshly baked scones, sandwiches, and cakes, served with a choice of Reid's signature blend tea or coffee. Grand Tour of Northern Cyprus and a taste of Paphos: Winery visit and guided tour of the winemaking process, followed by a fine-dining experience at the vineyard’s boutique restaurant. Puglia & Basilicata: Lecce, Alberobello & Matera: A visit to a local masseria - a traditional family farmhouse - that includes a tour of the underground olive mills and a homemade, rustic lunch.   New European Signature tours for 2026: Grand Tour of Montenegro and a Taste of Albania - from £2609 pp Highlights include a guided tour of Tirana, scenic cable car rides up Datju Mountain, a visit to Krujë Castle and the Ethnographic Museum, and a guided tour of Berat. Grand Tour of Provence & the French Riviera & Monaco from £3419 pp Visiting Southern France and Monaco, including a guided walking tour of Aix-en-Provence, a visit to an organic winery with lunch and wine included, a boat trip through the Camargue, Avignon, a guided walking tour of Arles, and a scenic drive into the Luberon Mountains.  Grand Tour of Spain's Hidden Gems: Girona, Zaragoza & Valencia - Signature Grand Tour from £2749 pp The lesser known charms of Spain at the ancient city of Girona on a guided evening tapas and wine tour, visit to the Benedictine monastery in Montserrat, Barcelona with a local guide and a visit to the mountainous town of Teruel.  

Riviera Travel has launched six new ocean and yacht cruise itineraries for 2026, including another voyage to the Arctic. It includes exploration of the fjords of Svalbard, Norway, the Dalmatian Coast and Montenegro. These new voyages include an adaption of the popular Dubrovnik & the Splendours of Dalmatia Cruise, now available as a new route for solo travellers. Additionally, it includes an updated itinerary for the Splendours of Dalmatia Yacht Cruise with Dubrovnik & Montenegro, and the Dalmatian Island Yacht Cruise with Plitvice Lakes. The Opatija, Zadar & Northern Gems of the Adriatic Cruise launches aboard the latest ship to join Riviera’s programme, the five-star MS Equator. Also, the brand new Voyage to the Arctic & Svalbard is now available to UK holidaymakers. As well as adding these new routes, the Riviera Travel team has released new dates for 2026 to popular existing Ocean & Yacht Cruise itineraries to meet demand.

Riviera Travel is offering another means of travel inspiration for holidaymakers planning their next adventure. They now have the opportunity to dip into the Riviera Travel team’s wealth of knowledge via a new YouTube series discussing some of Riviera Travel’s most popular destinations. Hosted by Riviera Travel’s Product Director, Will Sarson, and Linda Harris, Senior Product Manager, the first episode takes an in-depth look at Japan by sharing valuable first-hand advice, travel tips, personal stories, key highlights, and detailed product overviews. Will Sarson said: “Our holidays are packed with incredible experiences, and sometimes a brochure page, facebook post, or website blog just isn’t enough to showcase everything. We have fantastic in-house expertise, and we want to make the most of it.” “This series allows us to demonstrate our deep product knowledge, while also giving our audience the chance to ask us questions.” Travel agents and holidaymakers planning to visit the destinations featured all have the opportunity to ask the Riviera Travel experts questions that have been submitted via social media prior to recording. Upcoming topics will be announced in advance across the cruise and tour operator’s Facebook and Instagram pages, so viewers have time to send in their questions. “We started with Japan because this is one of our favourites,” said Lee Cross, Social Media Lead at Riviera Travel. “Our Grand Tour is new and features some incredible destinations and USPs, like the Kurobe Gorge. Plus, Linda and Will are true experts, and we knew their insight would be a great starting point for the series.” “Ask The Experts” episode one is available now on Riviera Travel’s YouTube channel. Future episodes currently in production include an exclusive “Ask The Expert” featuring one of Riviera Travel’s top Tour Managers, in South Africa and filmed on location. Specials on Canada and New Zealand are also in planning. All popular itineraries in Riviera Travel’s escorted tours category. River Cruises, Ocean & Yacht Cruises, and European Tours will be covered as production of the series continues.

Riviera Travel is expanding commissionable options for travel agent sales. It will offer its most inclusive commission levels ever, providing better earning opportunities for agents. Riviera will now pay commissions on previously exempt elements, such as additional upgrades and other ancillary add-ons. Commission will now be available on all sole occupancy supplements, room upgrades, flight upgrades, and extras like personalising holiday experiences, extra baggage, pre-booked seats, and priority boarding. This development offers significant earning potential for each Riviera booking. It is a notable opportunity for agents who focus on booking cruises, Riviera says. The shift is a direct result of feedback from the Riviera Agent Engagement Committee. The additional commission earning opportunity is supported by the current peaks campaign where agents receive a £30 voucher for every booking made from until February 28, 2025. For themed river cruise bookings, the voucher amount doubles. There will also be a weekly prize draw where all bookings during this period are entered to potentially win £1,000 preloaded Mastercard credit. Vicky Billing, Head of Sales for Riviera Travel said: “Travel agents play a pivotal role and serve as our trusted advisors who can navigate the complexities of travel arrangements.” “I'm delighted that our new incentives mean our agents can earn more. "

  Riviera Travel has announced the appointment of Alexander Davies as key account manager for the north on a 12-month fixed term contract, effective immediately.   Alexander will focus on building relationships with the river cruise and escorted tour specialist’s travel agent partners. He will report to Claire Hills, national sales manager for retail and OTAs.   Alexander previously worked as an account manager at Red Bull.   The appointment brings Riviera’s dedicated trade team to eight people.   Claire Hills said: “We are excited to welcome Alexander into our growing team. He brings a great blend of energy and innovative thinking, and his skillset will support our long-term goals as we aim to grow trade engagement in the north.”   Alexander Davies said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the experienced trade sales team at Riviera Travel and look forward to working with our key partners across the northwest. Drawing on my knowledge of the region and sales expertise, I’m excited to build strong relationships with agents, helping them effectively promote our exceptional range of travel experiences and contribute to the company’s continued growth.”

Riviera Travel has launched a new training module on its e-learning platform, ‘Riviera Explorer.’ It is designed to help travel agents prepare for peaks sales. The ‘Primed for Peaks’ module includes a number of sections with tips and advice, such as how to order brochures, assisting with marketing plans and contact information for key account managers. It also details Riviera selling tips and information on how to book its cruise and escorted tour programmes for 2025 and 2026. It highlights solo dedicated departures, no-fly options and current top-selling itineraries. Agents who complete every training module by December 31, 2024, will be in with a chance of winning a space on a Sri Lanka escorted tour fam trip departing in 2025 or a Blue Danube Cruise fam trip on new ship Riviera Radiance, departing in 2025. A total of 40 travel agent places are up for grabs. Since its launch in October, 'Riviera Explorer' has seen more than 1,000 agents, half of whom are new to selling Riviera, signing up. Vicky Billing, head of trade and partnerships, said: “This new option will ensure agents are primed and ready to take full advantage of this key selling period.” “As with other modules on our new e-learning platform, it is designed to make life easy for our trade partners, so they can learn at a pace that suits them.” “‘Riviera Explorer’ has been a huge hit with the trade since launching, with agents praising the level of detail within the modules and the ability to become a certified Riviera Expert.”

  Riviera Travel has launched a new training module on its e-learning platform, ‘Riviera Explorer’, to help travel agents prepare for peaks.   The ‘Primed for Peaks’ module includes a number of sections with tips and advice, such as how to order brochures, assisting with marketing plans and contact information for Riviera’s key account managers.   It also details Riviera selling tips and information on how to book its cruise and escorted tour programmes for 2025 and 2026, including solo dedicated departures, no-fly options and current top-selling itineraries.   ‘Riviera Explorer’ represents the operator’s most significant investment to date in digital trade support. It is for both experienced sellers and those new to selling Riviera and features the latest news and updates via bite-sized training modules. Agents who complete every training module by December 31, 2024, will be in with a chance of winning a space on a Sri Lanka escorted tour fam trip departing in 2025 or a Blue Danube Cruise fam trip on new ship Riviera Radiance, departing in 2025, with 40 places in total up for grabs.   Since its launch in October, 'Riviera Explorer' has seen significant uptake, with more than 1000 agents, half of whom are new to selling Riviera, signing up.   Vicky Billing, head of trade and partnerships UK & Ireland at Riviera, said: “We know how important the next few weeks are for the trade as they prepare for the all-important peaks, and this new option on ‘Riviera Explorer’ will ensure they are primed and ready to take full advantage of this key selling period. As with other modules on our new e-learning platform, it is designed to make life easy for our trade partners, so they can learn at a pace that suits them.   “‘Riviera Explorer’ has been a huge hit with the trade since launching, with agents praising the level of detail within the modules and the ability to become a certified Riviera Expert. We’re excited to see how the platform will evolve and I encourage agents to sign up and learn more about our extensive range of holidays.”

  Riviera Travel has announced the appointment of Katy Potten as its first head of brand, campaigns and PR, effective immediately.   Katy will have overall responsibility for Riviera’s brand and campaigns strategy and will oversee creative output, including marketing planning, campaign and product launches, and content production. She will report to Sarah Fowler, marketing director.   Katy was most recently head of brand and acquisition at Travelopia and has previously held roles at Merlin Entertainment, easyJet and Tui.   Sarah Fowler said: “We’re delighted to welcome Katy to the team as we look to supercharge our campaigns and grow brand awareness. We’ve seen huge demand for our cruise and escorted tour programmes, and with Katy’s expertise and experience, we’re eager to see how we can take things to the next level and encourage more people to travel with Riviera.”   Katy Potten said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Riviera at what is an exciting time in the cruise and escorted touring space. The company has been on an upward trajectory for many years and I look forward to working with the team as we look to capitalise on future opportunities.”

Riviera Travel trade bookings have increased by more than a third year-on-year. This includes an uptick of 51% for river cruises, and 66% for dedicated solo departures across both its cruise and escorted touring product. The trade has also prompted a sharp rise in 'Signature Tour' demand on long-haul escorted tours. Signature tours - which offer up to three enhanced experiences on existing itineraries - have seen a 38% growth in trade revenue year-on-year. As such, further itineraries will be added to next year's programme - Imperial Cities of Morocco, Jordan & Petra; South Africa; The Best of Japan; and Southern India's Coastal Route - bringing the worldwide total on offer up to 20. Overall, the trade team has increased its bookings share of Riviera's business by 10% since 2019. The operator has made a concerted effort to improve engagement with agents since the start of the year. This includes: Bolstering its trade team. Seven key account managers are now in place, with four additions recruited this year. Two newly created roles - national sales manager, retail & OTAs; and national sales manager, homeworkers - have also been introduced. A dedicated trade reservations team is additionally now in place. The trade marketing team has been expanded by three to five. Running a bi-annual trade engagement committee, with a cross-section of agents from the industry, the committee is in place to gather feedback, act on suggestions and help explain Riviera's plans and updates. Hosting 10 Fam trips, across both river cruise and escorted touring product, to a record 100 agents. The launch earlier this month of a new e-learning platform - 'Riviera Explorer' - which aims to help agents improve their brand knowledge. The platform already has over 1,000 users, half of whom are new-to-brand. Introducing an internal trade app, which allows key account managers to track their agent visits and outcomes. To date it has reduced the time spent on administration tasks by around 50%. Enhancing relationships with both The Travel Network Group and Advantage Travel Partnership, to help secure further partnerships with more independent agents. Vicky Billing, Riviera Travel head of trade and partnerships UK & Ireland, said: "We are over the moon with the support we have had from our amazing trade partners this year. My team and I are so grateful for every single booking.” "It's been particularly satisfying to see travel agents who have never sold Riviera making bookings on a regular basis." 

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  Riviera Travel has lowered prices on select 2025 European escorted tours departing from July through to November.   Savings of up to £130pp are now available across 89 departure dates, including Classic and Signature tours. Options include:   * Four-day Paris classic tour, departing July 19, 2025, with prices now from £559pp. * Eight-day Norway signature tour, departing August 1, 2025, with prices now from £2469pp. * Eight-day Puglia, Lecce & Vieste classic tour, departing September 5, 2025, with prices now from £1539pp. * Eight-day Sicily signature tour, departing September 15, 2025, with prices now from £2099pp. * Six-day Slovenia and Lake Bled signature tour, departing September 24, 2025, with prices now from £1399pp. * Eight-day Lake Garda, Venice & Verona signature tour, departing October 8, 2025, with prices now from £2249pp.   Joanne Lynn, head of product - European at Riviera, said: “Our mission is to provide exceptional holiday experiences at unbeatable value for money, and these new savings on select 2025 European tours are further evidence of our desire to make escorted touring more accessible for all. There’s so much included in the price of a Riviera tour, including flights and transfers, making the whole experience stress-free from start to finish. There’s never been a better time for guests to book and take in the wonders of Europe.”   For 2025, Riviera has reduced the group size on its Classic tours, with a maximum of 36 guests. Meanwhile, Signature tours have an average of just 22 guests and up to four enhanced experiences.   All Riviera Travel escorted tours include return flights and transfers, accommodation, tours and visits, select meals, local taxes and an expert tour manager throughout.