Luxury river cruise specialist AmaWaterways has identified South-east Asian travellers as an ideal market for river cruises, according to Melvyn Yap, the company’s business development director for the region.
Yap, a familiar figure in both the cruise and luxury travel sectors, said South-east Asian travellers tend to be “globalised” in their travel appetite compared with other Asian source markets, and are more open to unfamiliar food, culture and experiences.
“Filipino and Indonesian travellers, for instance, are less likely to expect a tour guide who speaks in Tagalog or Bahasa Indonesian respectively, or to expect access to their native cuisine while holidaying in a foreign region,” he explained, adding that South-east Asian travellers’ “easy-going nature” and desire for unfamiliar sights and experiences make them ideal for river cruises that often weave into lesser-known, less-commercialised, and less-accessible destinations.
Since his appointment at AmaWaterways in late-2024, Yap has found the Philippines to be a top performing source market for his company while Indonesia offers the strongest growth potential.
“The Philippines is our second largest market in Asia and largest in South-east Asia. Travellers from the Philippines are mostly entry-level luxury travellers at this stage, but given time, they will mature to be very sophisticated travellers,” said Yap.
He noted that this is a natural progression, with most consumers starting their travels with basic products and itineraries that cover several cities and countries at once, before determining their preferences and developing a desire to explore a single destination more deeply.
At present, AmaWaterways river cruises that take guests through clusters of cities along well-known rivers such as the Rhine, the Rhône and the Danube are proving popular with South-east Asian travellers.
However, AmaWaterways faces two main challenges in its pursuit of growth in South-east Asia.
“Most South-east Asian travellers, with the exception of Singapore passport-holders, have to go through a visa application process to travel to Europe. Visa applications can only begin three or four months before departure date, which discourages South-east Asian travellers from booking their holidays well in advance. They also risk trip disruptions should visa applications be delayed,” shared Yap.
AmaWaterways recommends that guests purchase travel insurance always, and offers the AmaWaterways Travel Waiver Plus that provides protection from cancellation for any reason, up to 31 days prior to the start of their cruise. Cancellations within that time frame accords guests a Future Cruise Credit.
The other obstacle, according to Yap, is a lack of awareness of river cruise products among travellers in the region.
“It took a while for ocean cruise lines to build up awareness in this region, and now it is time for river cruise lines to do the same. Many South-east Asian travellers are not aware of river cruises and the advantages of going on one. Being smaller in size, river cruise ships can easily navigate rivers and bring guests to cities not accessible by hefty 45-seat coaches. Journeys down rivers also grant scenic views along the way. Furthermore, for travellers who want privacy on holiday, river cruises can be ideal, as there are fewer guests onboard at once,” he said.
In an earlier interview with TTG Asia, CEO Catherine Powell described AmaWaterways as being “all about small ships that are intimate and where you will experience a high-touch service”. She also noted that guests would enjoy a ship with thoughtful layout as well as immersive land experiences.
To improve understanding of river cruises among South-east Asian travel advisers, Yap is investing in tradeshow presence, allowing him to meet and speak with more trade buyers.
He also expressed interest in hosting Asian corporate incentive events onboard and will be participating in regional tradeshows such as IT&CMA in Bangkok and Indonesia Business Event Mart in Jakarta this year.
