The popularity of river cruising with UK cruisers continues to surge with record growth in 2017, according to new figures from CLIA UK & Ireland.
Its UK River Cruise review 2017 reveals that passenger numbers soared by 21 per cent on the previous year, and total bed nights were up a whopping 24 per cent.
Cruising the French rivers, such as the Saone (above), helped boost the surge in 2017
The UK river cruise market reached 210,400 passengers, against 174,400 in 2016, with the market continuing to outperform many other sectors of the travel industry.
European river cruises, which account for almost 90 per cent of bookings, were the driving force behind this exceptional growth, specifically cruises on the Douro, Russian waterways, Rhine and Danube.
Cruises in central and western Europe accounted for almost two-thirds (62 per cent) of all river cruise bookings, with the Rhine and Danube leading the way. But it was eastern and southern Europen which saw the most growth, predominantly on Russian waterways and on the Douro.
Outside Europe, three rivers accounted for the bulk of passengers in 2017 last year; the Mekong, Nile and Irrawaddy, with the Ganges and Brahmaputra also performing well.
CLIA UK & Ireland director Andy Harmer said: “With continued investment and innovation in this
You must be logged in to post a comment.