site.btaCruises Along Danube River Increase in Popularity

Cruises Along
Danube River
Increase in Popularity


Vidin, on the Danube, November 25 (BTA) - The number of tourists
on Danube River cruises has been growing in the last years,
experts in the tourism branch told BTA. A total of 167 cruise
ships with 150 passengers on average stopped at Vidin Port in
the 2014 tourist season (from mid-March to late November). Thus,
more than 25,000 tourists pass through the Bulgarian city per
season.

The Danube River cruise ships are among the luxurious vessels
navigating along the river and sail mostly under the flag of
Switzerland, Germany and Canada. The foreign passengers come
from all around the globe, but most of them are from the US,
followed by Japanese and European tourists. Everyone is over 65
years of age, and family couples are a majority. The data also
show a significant share of tourists from countries whose
nationals do not typically visit Bulgaria - Canada, the US, New
Zealand, and Australia.

The foreign tourists say they are strongly interested in
religious and historic sites, including such from the period of
totalitarianism, but complain about the lack of conveniences at
the ports, toilets, bureaux de change, ATMs at tourist sites,
and information in foreign languages.

A recent survey about the state of tourism in the Bulgarian
section of the Danube, conducted by a team of Sofia University's
Tourist Geography Chair, showed that Bulgaria is not well
enough known and popular in Europe as a cruise destination along
the Danube, in spite of its potential resources.

The experts recommend the elaboration of a state policy so that
Bulgaria can take advantage of cruise tourism's growing
popularity on a global scale.


PK/DS


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