Popularity of river cruising rising among Brits
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The popularity of river cruises continues to rise with the number of UK passengers taking a holiday on waterways in Europe and further afield growing by 6% in 2014, according to figures released by CLIA UK & Ireland. 
The number of British travellers taking a river cruise grew by almost 8,000, taking the total number to 139,400 in 2014.
Europe remains by far the most popular region for UK travellers to take a river cruise, accounting for 86% of all passengers. On the continent, the River Danube’s popularity continued to soar, with passenger numbers rising 41%, while cruises on the Danube and Rhine rivers rose 37%.
Cruises on Russia’s rivers grew in popularity too, climbing 15%, whilst further afield, cruises on rivers such as the Mekong are up 55%, and in India, rivers including the Ganges and Brahmaputra are up 24%.
The cruise industry’s investment in new ships is set to continue with 16 CLIA member river vessels due to be launched in 2015 alone.
Andy Harmer, director of CLIA UK & Ireland, says: “With the continued investment in new, more innovative ships and the ever-increasing choice and diversity of itineraries in Europe and further afield, it’s no surprise that more UK passengers than ever are opting for river cruises as their holiday choice.”
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