Russian river cruises will transport a record number of foreign tourists this year. This was reported by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) last week.
Foreign tourists traffic may reach the pre-crisis levels for the first time since 2014, when the number of foreign guests on Russian river cruises reduced by half. Every tenth passenger of a cruise ship this year will be a foreigner.
The increase in the number of bookings is not only a result of the upcoming World Cup, but also to the fact that common interest in Russia is growing, as reported by the association.
In contrast to “land” tourism, which is dominated by Chinese tourists, most river cruises passengers are from Europe. Mainly Germans, French, Italians and Spaniards. This season there is an increase in the number of cruise tourists from the US, which were almost absent four years ago. The number of tourists from Vietnam also saw a rise.
Meanwhile, the domestic market is also showing good results. 80% of places for Mosturflot cruises are already sold out for the coming summer and autumn. This is much more than it was at the end of April 2017.
According to ATOR, the price policy of leading cruise operators contributes to good demand. The prices for river cruises practically saw no growth this year. The average cost of a river cruise is from 4 to 6 thousand rubles (50-80 EURO) a day per person. As for luxury motor ships used exclusively for more demanding foreign groups, the price starts at 10 thousand rubles (about 130 EUR).