Agencies have praised Riviera Travel for hosting its first dedicated marketing fam trip, with nine marketers exploring Amsterdam, Kinderdijk and the Dutch bulbfields.
The marketing professionals gave Riviera “overwhelmingly positive” feedback after they explored the Netherlands onboard MS Emily Brontë, as part of the operator’s expanded fam programme in 2026.
Riviera is planning 15 fam trips for 2026, welcoming 152 agents across a mix of river cruise and touring itineraries. The trips feature short and longer itineraries, festive departures and discovery cruises plus two dedicated touring fam trips to Helsinki, Tallinn and Riga and a long-haul tour to South India later this month.
The operator said this latest activity follows its trip for 550 travel agents to see the MS Geoffrey Chaucer in March.
Emily White, senior marketing executive at Premier Travel, said: “It was an amazing opportunity to capture some incredible content for our channels and speak directly with guests to understand what truly sells cruising to them.
“These insights are so valuable for marketing and allow us to create more engaging content that better supports sales.”
Josh Villegas-Ross, marketing executive at The Travel Network Group, hailed the “standout itinerary”, noting it is “rare” to see a fam designed for marketing teams.
“Returning from Amsterdam, I have brought back a wealth of high-quality content to share with our members,” he said.
“From a detailed itinerary blog to video content aboard the luxurious Emily Brontë, alongside engaging social assets highlighting each stop, the materials captured will deliver lasting value.”
Mariette Stevenson, travel marketing executive at Midcounties Co-op Travel, said she gathered “high-quality, in-the-moment” content, adding: “We even had customers messaging saying they were telling friends and family to follow along with our stories.”
Amanda Docherty, head of UK trade sales at Riviera Travel, said: “By offering a mix of trip formats this year – from marketing exclusive trips to dedicated conferences – we’re supporting agents in building their product knowledge.”
