Riverside Luxury Cruises has appointed former AmaWaterways national sales manager Jon Knight as its head of sales for the UK and Ireland.

Knight, whose experience includes sales roles at Silversea Cruises and Von Essen Hotels, will lead the line’s domestic sales efforts with a focus on developing a trade luxury distribution channel.

His appointment follows Riverside Luxury Cruises’ recent acquisition of the remaining four vessels in Crystal Cruises’ river fleet.

Our fleet is growing and so is our team,” said founder Gregor Gerlach. “We are laying solid foundations with a highly experienced team in the UK.”

Stuart Perl, managing director of Riverside Luxury Cruises, said: “We are delighted to have someone of Jon’s calibre and experience joining us and demonstrating our commitment to our trade-focussed sales strategy.

“Developing and building strong relationships with travel agents and the wider industry will be a huge part of our success. Jon’s extensive network will play a crucial role in our growth as we move forwards with this exciting new river cruise venture.”

Knight said: “I am delighted to join the Riverside Luxury Cruises team as we embark on bringing a new dimension to luxury river cruising in the UK and Irish markets.

“I am excited to be able to introduce a unique luxury proposition to the trade and look forward to growing our distribution network and taking our travel partners with us on this exciting journey.”