Wendy Wu Tours is building its first river cruise ship in Asia with the 35-cabin Victoria Mekong scheduled to launch in 2020.

WWT will partner Vietnamese company TMG to build the US$10 million ship with itineraries to go on sale later this year or early next year.

“The ship will be good value, very comfortable but not necessarily luxury,’’ founder Wendy Wu told Travel Daily.

Ms Wu has been in the travel business for more than 20 years, specialising in the Asian region.

With strong demand for Mekong River cruises from WWT’s clients, the new ship would enable the company to “control our own destiny.”

The Victoria Mekong is a four-star, river ship promising “superior service” so that passengers can soak up the wonders of the passing landscapes. There will be two itineraries with a four-night upstream cruise departing from Can Tho in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta to Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh or a three three-night downstream cruise.

“Shore excursions are designed with an emphasis on experiencing local life, with plenty of opportunities to interact with local people and their fascinating culture,’’ said its website.