Riviera Travel - A CEO with the Guest at his Core, and a Dedicated Team with the Trade at its Heart

Riviera Travel hosted its Senior Leaders Lunch at The Westbury in Dublin yesterday, bringing together key agent partners and a hard hitting collection of its UK and Ireland leadership team to discuss performance, product development and future growth plans for the market.

The event was led by Riviera Travel CEO Matt Luscombe, alongside Vicky Billing, Director of Trade, Partnerships and Loyalty UK and Ireland; and Carrie Day, Country Manager, Ireland.

During the lunch, Riviera shared strong Ireland trade results, including a 156% year-on-year increase in passenger numbers and a 146% rise in revenue for trade sales between 1 December 2025 and 31 July 2026. The operator also highlighted growth across touring, solo holidays and river cruise, with trade now accounting for 68% of Ireland bookings, compared with 49% in 2025.

The company confirmed that 38 new agencies and branches have made bookings in 2026, reflecting increased engagement from Irish agents and the impact of recent changes introduced following trade feedback.

Agent feedback driving Ireland updates:

Riviera outlined a series of Ireland-specific updates designed to make it easier for agents to sell its river cruise and touring portfolio, including lower deposits of €300pp for European sailings of seven nights or more and €250pp for sailings under seven nights.

Regional flights are now available from Cork and Shannon, as well as Dublin and Belfast, while Riviera said it continues to broaden the range of European and long-haul destinations available to Irish customers.

The operator also confirmed that its annual Riviera Awards in London now includes three Irish award categories, while its FAM trip programme will increase from one trip in 2025 to three in 2026, giving more agents the opportunity to experience the Riviera product first-hand.

Riviera also pointed to recent award wins in the Irish market, including Best Premium River Cruise Operator at our very own ITTN Awards in November 2025 and Mainstream River Cruise Line of the Year at the ITAA Awards in January 2026.

Six months on: Riviera Explorer

The lunch also provided an update on Riviera Explorer, the operator’s trade platform, six months after launch. Riviera said the platform now has more than 300 active users.

New additions to the platform include RIVA AI, Riviera’s AI assistant for agents; an integrated support desk; and updated agent resources including videos, posters and social media tiles for new campaigns.

Riviera also used the event to remind partners of the breadth of its product range, which includes 38 European river cruises across nine rivers, 28 European tours across 12 countries, 16 dedicated solo river cruises and nine long-haul tours across eight countries. The operator also highlighted Riviera Alba, its new ship sailing the Mekong. 

Future growth for Ireland

Looking ahead, Riviera confirmed several initiatives for trade partners, including Riviera Rewards, a ‘New to River Cruise’ bootcamp launching in September 2026, new Riviera Moments, and its 2028 river cruise programme going on sale on 9 September 2026. The operator also confirmed three new ships on order: Alba, Reflection and Rhapsody.

Riviera said its near-term plans include more agent committee lunches, additional training and product webinars, and taking its trade reservations team on the road with Carrie Day to work more closely with Irish agents and their customers.

The company also shared ambitions to expand its Ireland team, continue reviewing departures from Ireland and grow Irish trade passenger numbers by 30% to 35% each year, with a 2027 target of 2,027 passengers.

Vicky Billing, Director of Trade, Partnerships and Loyalty UK and Ireland at Riviera Travel, said: “Ireland is a hugely important growth market for Riviera Travel and yesterday’s lunch was an opportunity to listen, share progress and set out where we are investing next. The results we have seen so far this year show the strength of our trade partnerships, but also the opportunity still ahead.

“From lower deposits and more regional flight options to increased fam trip places, new training and continued investment in Riviera Explorer, our focus is on giving Irish agents the tools, products and support they need to grow with us. We’re excited by the momentum in the market and committed to building on it with our partners.”