AVALON Waterways managing director
Patrick Clark had echoed comments by Viking
chairman Torstein Hagen earlier this year,
saying the boom currently being enjoyed by
river cruising is showing no signs of slowing.
“The entire river cruise market to Europe
is 500,000 people (a year) as opposed to 15
million taking ocean cruises, and there is a
high level of interest from that 15 million in
river cruises,” Clark told USA Today last week.
Clark said at last week’s christening of
Avalon Expression (CW Thu), that the market
had plenty of room to grow, was capable of
sustaining more ships and added that markets
such as Australia, USA and Canada had more
than 100m that fit key demographics.
