Development of The Security Situation of the Danube Countries and its Effect on Danube Cruise Turism

Abstract

Cruise tourism has witnessed dynamic development over the last twenty years, which was only disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Danube-Main-Rhine is the most important route for European river cruise tourism. Danube river cruise traffic doubled between 2002 and 2011, and has been growing steadily ever since. The steady improvement of the security situation in the region and European integration have been the key underlying conditions for the development of Danube navigation.

The changes implemented from 2019 and their effects reveal the critical role of the freedom of entry and movement between countries in the sector. In 2020, the pandemic triggered a 90 % drop in passenger traffic. The Russian-Ukrainian war that began in 2022 brought further changes to the security situation.