Amawaterways Named AAA’s 2020 River Cruise Partner Of The Year

Friday, Nov 20, 2020 0

AmaWaterways today proudly announced that it was named American Automobile Association’s (AAA) “River Cruise Partner of the Year” and “Best in Member Service – Cruise” during the annual AAA Travel Forum. Held virtually this year, the event recognized top preferred supplier partners offering exceptional travel products and services based on multiple category scores submitted by AAA Clubs across the country. Jazzmine Douse, AmaWaterways’ National Account Manager, accepted the award on the company’s behalf on November 4.

“In these times where trust and confidence mean so much to the travel industry, we couldn’t be prouder to receive this award,” said Gary Murphy, co-owner and senior vice president, sales of AmaWaterways. “Our commitment to supporting AAA’s travel advisors – and their more than 60 million members – is stronger than ever as we prepare to welcome them and their clients in the Spring of 2021 when our river cruises in Europe, Asia and Africa resume.”

Each year, AAA asks stakeholders across the country to rank preferred travel partners on multiple criteria. This year AmaWaterways has once again re-taken the top honor in the river cruise category which they held three out of the last four years. These awards honor the best companies in travel for their commitment to providing AAA travel advisors with outstanding training and marketing support and AAA members with exceptional travel products and customer service.

“While 2020 has been a challenging year for travel, we are very pleased to recognize AmaWaterways for their continued support of AAA and the exceptional service they provide our members,” said Paula Twidale, senior, vice president, Travel – AAA National Office. “We all look forward to brighter days creating wonderful river cruise memories together for our members in 2021 and beyond.”

With 18 years of innovation and excellence, AmaWaterways continues to be a dedicated partner to the travel advisor community with countless tools and resources designed to help grow their business. Most recently, the company launched a new AmaAcademy course to help advisors grow their sales on the popular Danube River and its second virtual Marketing Suitcase promoting group business. This year alone, AmaWaterways executives and BDMs have engaged its travel partners through a series of more than 2,000 virtual events providing crucial updates on rescheduling cruises, health and safety protocols as well as inspirational content on new ships and itineraries.

This summer, the award-winning river cruise line successfully pioneered the return to the world’s rivers and completed a four-month series of charter cruises on the Rhine. With enhanced health and safety protocols in place, AmaWaterways continued to deliver the unmatched river cruise experience for which it’s known.

“We know how important safety and security is to the AAA organization, and we are proud to be the only U.S.-based river cruise company with proven sailing experience this year,” added Murphy. “We can’t wait to welcome all of our American guests once travel restrictions are lifted and when we resume our regular river cruises sailing through some of the most sought-after destinations. “

The AAA River Cruise Partner of the Year award comes on the heels of numerous accolades for the luxury river cruise line, including 2020 Partner Company of the Year and River Cruise Line of the Year by American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA).