River cruising is a booming industry that is taking travelers from all over the world to discover a succession of unique attractions along the greatest rivers on the planet. Volga, Danube, Rhine, Douro, Rhone, Elbe, the Baltic fjords, the Nile, the great American rivers. Incredible scenery captured directly aboard increasingly equipped and luxurious ships.
This industry, which is traditionally identified with the inherent cultural and folklore influences of the crossing countries, is experiencing a digital revolution focused on increasing customer satisfaction.
Absorbing many elements from the hospitality industry, the river cruise vertical is also tasting the benefits that a digital concierge service can bring in enhancing the travel experience of tourists aboard these fascinating ships, especially when paired with a physical device that serves as a digital travel assistant throughout the itinerary. These smart devices have taken on an important role in improving the experience of tourists on board ships and, at the same time, are a great investment for cruise companies as they obtain a valuable customer satisfaction and customer engagement tool.
What is a digital concierge for river cruises?
A digital concierge is a fully customized smartphone with free calls and connectivity, travel guides, audio guides, and travel maps for an increasingly rich and personalized travel experience.
This kind of extra service has been introduced in 2018 by leading industry players across Europe to offer an additional amenity to travelers, especially to international travelers planning to spend their vacations along itineraries exploring Europe’s great rivers. Pandemic impact on international tourism has not limited the uptake of this ancillary, which boosted its distribution at major new international cruise lines.
What kind of services can a digital concierge offer travelers aboard a river cruise?
A digital concierge offers countless features. It is delivered at boarding or directly at the cabin and usually provides Internet connection with no extra charge, including free international calls, unlimited data traffic, and secure Wi-Fi hotspot.
The travel experience becomes even more immersive as travelers will be provided with tour guides, audio guides and travel maps to get information on historical monuments along the way and suggestions on food tastings and the best places to stop for breathtaking views.
In addition, travelers will be able to take advantage of several useful travel tools such as a translator, currency exchange, and emergency numbers; the digital concierge smartphone includes the ability to purchase tickets for museums, events, and attractions.
The digital concierge is easy to use and secure: the device automatically runs a data cleaning at the end of the trip, so personal data is completely removed and privacy is guaranteed.
What benefits does a digital concierge offer to cruise companies?
The digital concierge mainly helps boost the company’s revenues because it is used by tourists as a unique and innovative entry point for booking and purchasing ancillary services on board ship, as well as joining the excursions and experiences offered along the itineraries. In addition, the device can improve the travel experience and, therefore, positively affect customer satisfaction. Thus, the digital concierge turns out to be an excellent tool for increasing revenues generated from selling extra services and increasing traveler engagement.
Thanks to suitable features, the digital concierge also allows the company to collect customer feedback to optimize service and keep in constant touch with travelers by using customizable push notifications.
How can I add a digital concierge service to my cruise line?
Suppliers of digital concierge are quite limited, as we are talking about a specific technology with high quality standards.
More details on the features and capabilities of a digital concierge can be found in specific information material.
In addition, you can also arrange real product demonstration sessions with dedicated sales teams.
If you manage a cruise company, or a tour operator working in the river cruise business, start using a digital concierge now as an extra service for your customers. Get a quick and significant ROI by enjoying a simple and intuitive technological innovation!
