Unveiled on Tuesday night (19 September), the "doing the right thing" strategy will focus, among other things, on cutting the company’s carbon footprint by 20% by 2028, as well as halving its use of paper and plastic by 2025. 

Riviera also announced its collaboration with development NGO Practical Action on cleaning up rivers and reducing waste hotspots in Kenya. 

“We’re not a leader in this space yet but we want to get towards that, we want to be able to to stand up and be really proud of what we’re doing in this space,” marketing director Sarah Fowler told TTG.

According to Fowler, who was appointed Riviera’s marketing director in late June, agents can contribute to the ESG strategy by spreading the word about the river specialist’s initiatives, which include adding rail options to its itineraries.

“It will enable agents to help their customers feel good about making a holiday with Riviera,” she added. 

Agents have been at the centre of Riviera’s marketing strategies, as over the past few months the river cruise specialist and operator has relaunched its website with added agent functionality, displaying all information via a single link as well as simplifying the booking process.

In July, the company also set up a trade dedicated contact centre team to handle all queries and bookings.

Speaking to TTG on ahead of the event on Tuesday, Fowler also said Riviera will look at developing its agent portal by enhancing functionality in the "My account" section, allowing agents to self-serve.

Looking ahead, Fowler’s main priority is making sure everything is primed for peak 2024, investing and focusing on higher-value, more exclusive products.

“We’re making sure that we’re aligned to deliver a really successful 2024 peak season for us and our travel agent partners,” she concluded.