Mekong River Cruise Bookings Soar
Mon 9 June 2014
As the UK's leading experts in river cruises, we have analysed our passenger numbers to show changes in which rivers are most popular from 2012 to 2014.
Mekong river cruise bookings have soared over the last three years according to our latest figures. The number of passengers taking a Mekong river cruise has increased by an incredible 1037% from 2012 to 2014, with passenger numbers continuing to rise. The tropical greenery of Vietnam and Cambodia is becoming increasingly popular as more guests find a river cruise and land tour is the best way to see the ancient cities, elegant temples and fascinating wonders which make this area of South East Asia an intriguing destination. Since 2012, the Mekong has climbed ten places and is currently the 5th most popular river cruise in 2014.
Yangtze cruise and tours in China have also increased in popularity from 2012 to 2014, with an 88% increase in passengers making it currently the 10th most popular river cruise. Our Yangtze cruise and land tours offer a range of carefully planned itineraries, with most combining hotel stays in Beijing and Shanghai with a cruise along the Yangtze through the Three Gorges.
In Europe, the romantic River Rhine has remained to be the most popular river cruise over the past three years, despite recording a 10% drop in the number of passengers from 2012 to 2014. Its rich history and picturesque scenery of fairytale castles perched high above terraced vineyards continue to make it particularly popular with first-time river cruisers.
The Danube River retains second spot, with a 23% increase in passengers from 2012 to 2014, whilst Portugal’s River of Gold, the Douro, remains in third place for the third consecutive year with a 16% increase over the past three years. The Douro Valley, in the port wine region of Portugal, has the perfect combination of delightful scenery, rural villages and historic towns.
As an increasing number of cruise lines are launching river cruises in Bordeaux, renowned for its terraced vineyards and impressive chateaux, the latest figures show it is now the fourth most popular river cruise in 2014, with predictions for it to increase as the year progresses.
Here is the full list of the top 10 most popular river cruises for 2014:
1) Rhine
2) Danube
3) Douro
4) Bordeaux
5) Mekong
6) Rhone
7) Seine
8) Venice
9) Elbe
10) Yangtze