Danube Cruises posts 23% growth

Danube Cruises, a Romanian-Austrian company working with cruise operators, saw turnover go up 23% in the first three quarters of 2005 as compared to the corresponding period of last year, to 3.66 million RON (1 million euros). “The evolution is due to the higher demand for cruises, as well as to the policy change that allowed us to introduce offers in the March-April period, thus extending the season,” says Radu Comanici, the company”s general manager. The usual cruising period in this part of the world is May-September. Tourists are brought here through the Austrian partner company Luftner Cruises, which has contracts with several foreign travel agencies. “We have promoted associated cultural programmes to the very end of luring customers during the flat months,” says Comanici. The company offers services for cruises from Amsterdam to Constanta and back and has had 7,000 customers this year. During the previous fiscal year, the firm logged turnover worth 5.08 million RON (1.25 million euros). The price of a cruise ranges between 800 and 9,000 euros, depending on the services included (air transportation, hotel accommodation, trips). ZF