High loyalty in luxury river cruise travel; 70% of passengers return

Central News Agency, Taipei, May 26. Taiwan's luxury travel market is estimated at approximately 850,000 travelers per year, with high-end river cruises emerging as a new favorite for European travel. Industry operators point out that river cruise passengers show high loyalty, with about 70% returning for another experience. Targeting the recent surge in boutique river cruise travel, Turkish Airlines held a press conference today announcing a partnership with the luxury brand Uniworld. Passengers flying with Turkish Airlines can enjoy a 5% discount, aiming to create a unique high-end European travel model. Uniworld's Managing Director for Asia, Yu Hanjie, stated that since the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel has surged, making river cruises a new blue ocean for luxury tourism. Uniworld plans to expand to 20 ships by 2027, upgrading the entire fleet to 'Super Ships.' Regarding the Taiwan market, Yu noted that demand for slow travel and in-depth cultural experiences is rising. Phoenix Tours Chief Strategy Officer Shao Dingqing added that the typical Taiwanese river cruise passenger is aged 55 to 70, with corporate charters being the primary driver.