Providers of European river cruises look set to have a good year, according to recent surveys by specialised portal, Travel Weekly.

According to numbers collated by this online portal, this field is one of the most likely to experience growth within the travel industry this year. 22% of the companies interviewed were already offering this service last year, and bookings in this sector accounted for 6% of the overall business for travel agents in 2013.

As such, it is only logical that a high number of companies will be looking to either get into the sector or expand their fleets in 2014, in order to accommodate the growing demand from the general public. With the renown of European river cruises now transcending continental borders to reach places such as Canada, it is natural that more and more people will want to try this increasingly popular holiday option, and travel agents are more than willing to accommodate this trend by putting more boats on the water and creating new, alternative routes for these vessels to follow.

Cruises are, for most of the operators interviewed, in demand, but not yet so crowded that there is no space to improve upon the services being offered. Similarly, while competitive, the European river cruise market is not over-saturated, and many of the travel agents contacted by Travel Weekly agree that there is still space for new companies to find their spots within it. In fact, according to most of the operators on record, this increasing competitiveness is only helping the sector’s established names strive to offer better services and differentiate themselves from their competitors.

The operators interviewed have gone on to state that one of the main appeals of European river cruises is the smaller dimension of its boats when compared to, for instance, an ocean cruise. Sector-specific quirks such as rafting (the name given to a situation when riverboats are forced to dock next to each other and passengers must walk across one or more boats to reach the pier) have also been pinpointed as factors attracting travellers to this type of holiday.

About European Waterways:

European Waterways provide luxury all-inclusive boat holidays and vacations in Europe. Contact them at: www.gobarging.com .

Contact Details:
European Waterways Ltd
The Barn, Riding Court
Riding Court Road, Datchet
Berkshire, SL3 9JT
United Kingdom
+44 (0)1753 598555
[email protected]