Affirmation of Passenger Traffic Flows on the Danube Corridor – Perspective of River Cruise Tourism

Miljen Sirotić,Željka Komadina,Tanja Poletan Jugović

doi:10.31217/p.34.1.13

Abstract

Cruise tourism as a propulsive branch of tourism is being increasingly affirmed in the field of river transport. Accordingly, the main research problem in this paper is the analysis of the possibility of further affirmation and growth of passenger flows on river cruises on the Danube as the backbone of river traffic in the European Union. In the context of the defined research problem, the paper analyzes: relevant geo–traffic and socio–economic characteristics of the Danube, relevant indicators of passenger flows on cruises on the Danube – intensity, structure, dynamics and distribution of passenger traffic flows. Based on the aforementioned content, the further dynamics of passenger flows on cruises is concluded and forecasted, and the guidelines and factors of valorization of cruise tourism along the Danube Corridor are highlighted.

Highlights

River passenger traffic has recently been almost entirely oriented towards river cruises, which are constantly increasing in terms of passenger numbers
The analysis of relevant indicators and factors of formation and consolidation of passenger flows on cruise voyages on the Danube, leads to the conclusion that cruise tourism on the Danube is characterized by a strong competitive position compared to other global cruise destinations, such as the Nile, Russian, Asian, and North American destinations
The results of this study point to the conclusions about the rapid development and fragmentation of river cruise tourism on the Danube, which is characterized by a distinct disproportion in intensity and distribution, i.e. spatial distribution of passenger flows on cruise voyages within individual Danube basins

Summary

Introduction

River passenger traffic has recently been almost entirely oriented towards river cruises, which are constantly increasing in terms of passenger numbers. This means that 82 % of passenger traffic flows on river cruises on the Danube refer to the upper Danube basin The reason for this is the location of the upper Danube basin, which is incorporated into the sovereign territory of economically highly developed countries such as Germany and Austria, which have a wider and more developed range of tourism supply side than the middle and lower Danube basin. The lower Danube basin, which stretches through Bulgaria and Romania, is the safest for cruising due to the smallest slope indentation of the basin These two countries are aiming to intensively exploit the corresponding part of the Danube at the state level in the context of river cruise tourism. These countries perform certain hydraulic works on the lower Danube basin, through which they aim to make navigation safer and more efficient, especially because the lower Danube basin is subject to low water levels

Structural analysis of passenger flows on cruise voyages in the Danube region

Passenger structure on cruise voyages on the Danube

Features and geographical distribution of Danube ports

Findings

Conclusion