High Spirits on the Rhine: Avalon Waterways-ACTA European River Cruise Summit Underway 

“The camaraderie of this group is insane,” enthused Denise Harper, Managing Director, Canada, for the Globus family of brands (GFOB).

Harper was officially welcoming participants in the 2025 Avalon Waterways-ACTA European River Cruise Summit aboard Avalon Panorama – the oldest vessel in Avalon’s 16-strong fleet (but you’d never know it.) Travel Market Report Canada is also aboard to help you virtually experience the journey.

Some of the 120-plus travel advisors aboard had bonded during pre-tours hosted by Switzerland Tourism. Others had met on previous ACTA immersive destination trips or other industry tours. But many had been strangers until the day before, when they arrived on the ship, celebrated happy hour, enjoyed a group dinner and danced until the clock signalled a new day.

Harper was right. In typical Canadian advisor fashion, both spirits and conversational volume were set on high as the Panorama left Huningue, France for a Christmas market-themed Rhine cruise, combined with opportunities for learning and development. 

Among those aboard are Pam Hoffee, President of Avalon Waterways, Suzanne Acton-Gervais, named President of ACTA six months ago, and their respective teams, including ACTA’s Marco Pozzobon, Fiona Bowen and Lesley Berry, and Globus family of brands staff including Canadian stalwart BDMs Leslie Schaff and Maurizio Mazzola, Sales Project Coordinator Elisha Bouwer, Manager, Channel Marketing and Sales Development Dave Llewellyn, and U.S.-based VP Sales Operations and Channel Marketing Cory McGillivray.

It’s the third year of the Avalon Waterways-ACTA partnership, and Avalon president Hoffee says it has been a great success, boosting not just Avalon but the entire river cruise industry. Canada is the second-most important market for the river line (after the U.S.), and while Globus is the larger brand south of the border, Avalon Waterways actually outsells the land-focused Globus in Canada.

Having Acton-Gervais and Hoffee aboard as leaders of their respective organizations is reflective of positive change in the industry over the past couple of decades

Hoffee’s career in cruising began with a college internship on an Alaska cruise ship. She’s been with GFOB for 23 years, was named Chief Operating Officer for Avalon in 2018 and President in 2022. When she was appointed to the GFOB executive committee nearly 20 years ago, Hoffee was the only female in an industry dominated by women. Today, the split is 50/50.

Similarly, Acton-Gervais is the second consecutive female president of ACTA, following the retirement of Wendy Paradis earlier this year. She brings strong association and government relations expertise, including a decade with the National Airlines Council of Canada. She also spent 20 years with Air Canada as a Service Director.

After a morning of exploring beautiful Strasbourg, France, on the trip’s first full day, the Avalon-ACTA Summit group gathered in Panorama’s lounge for an engaging afternoon of workshops focused on group sales opportunities and social content advice among other things.

Today, most attendees left by coach to explore the sights and flavours of Heidelberg, Germany on a full-day tour, while the ship carried on up the Rhine. The ship and group will reunite this afternoon in Mainz.

Stay tuned for continuing coverage of the 2025 Avalon Waterways-ACTA European River Cruise Summit.