River cruises offer a unique travel experience that combines peaceful river navigation, enjoyment of the vessel’s comfort and facilities, picturesque landscape, visits to towns along the riverbanks, and exploration of attractive nearby destinations. Such voyages attract tourists who want to enjoy leisure and sightseeing without the pressures associated with other forms of tourism. Europe still plays the leading role in the global river cruising market due to its extensive network of navigable waterways, developed river infrastructure, and stable tourism demand. The Danube - Rhine – Main corridor represents the backbone of the global river cruising industry, with over 40% of the world’s active river cruise fleet operating in Europe. Croatia, with its natural resources and picturesque river landscape, has a strong potential in this sector. Three major waterways form and connect Croatia’s river network. The Danube Waterway is one of the most important European river corridors. It connects the Central and Southeastern parts of Europe and enables intensive international trade and travel. The Sava Waterway is of significant regional importance. It connects the interior continental regions to the Danube and provides access to a broader transport system. The Drava Waterway, although shorter and with less traffic, is important for local river transport and contributes to the economic integration of coastal regions. However, despite progress in developing a diverse range of tourism offers, river cruising remains undervalued and insufficiently developed. The paper aims to show the potential for further development of the river cruising market in Croatia. The specific objective is to emphasise the importance of enhancing the tourism offer at river destinations along Croatian rivers. The methodology includes an analysis of the size of the river cruise fleet in Europe compared with the global river cruise industry, as other regions have recorded significant growth in recent years. Although Europe is the centre of river cruises, the analysis shows that the market is expanding to other regions as well. Additionally, the authors analyse the level of development of river cruising in Croatia, with a focus on the international Danube cruises, which have been experiencing strong growth. The results of a comparative analysis of Croatian ports and those in other countries indicate that Croatia has yet to reach the level of infrastructure development, organisational capacity, and commercial utilisation present in more established river cruising destinations in Central and Western Europe. In conclusion, the authors advocate the improvement of port and traffic infrastructure, the promotion of cultural and natural heritage, and the integration of destinations into a unique river cruising network, enabling Croatia to strengthen its presence on the European river cruise map. Furthermore, it could evolve into a recognisable, environmentally responsible and competitive destination. This would create a recognisable and competitive destination capable of attracting a larger number of visitors, contributing to the sustainable development of local communities, and reinforcing the strategic importance of river tourism within the national economy.
Dević et al. (Mon,) studied this question.