Susan Calman boosts Riviera’s Douro bookings by 54 per cent

Set onboard Douro Elegance, the first episode, which aired on January 26, was watched live by almost 900,000 viewers.

Its consolidated number, which adds in viewers who watched it on catch-up over the following seven days, topped 1.1m.

The second episode, which aired on February 2, was equally popular and overnight ratings confirmed it was also the most watched show on Channel 5 that day.

In turn, Riviera’s online Douro river cruise bookings doubled following the airing of the first episode and led to the region being the highest-booked holiday on their website.

During both episodes, Susan Calman travelled along the Douro river, taking in destinations including Porto, Mateus Palace, Salamanca and Almeida. She also sampled guest facilities such as the onboard restaurant, sun deck, lounge and bar.

Phil Hullah, chief executive of Riviera Travel, said: “River cruises are a wonderful holiday option, offering the perfect mix of relaxation and exploration.

“We’re thrilled so many viewers tuned in to see Susan sample all the benefits for herself, which was reflected in the strong website traffic spikes during the show, with highly-engaged users searching and browsing our river cruise holidays.”