Expedia adds fast-growing river cruises
Expedia is adding river cruises to its booking services — which the Puget Sound Business Journal says is “a move to take advantage of the popularity of cruises down the Danube in Europe and the Nile in Egypt.”
Expedia is offering deals from cruise lines Avalon Waterways, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection and Viking River Cruises. The site features 55 ships taking tourists on inland waterways through old cities such as Budapest, Prague, Beijing and Ho Chi Minh City.
With the added river cruises, the online travel site hopes to capitalize on a trend toward river travel that lets tourists explore popular cities and regions, the newspaper says.
“The cruise industry offers a remarkable range of options. The traditional ‘Love Boat’-style cruise from our youth is a thing of the past,” said Joe Megibow,, vice president and general manager of Expedia. He added:
“Today, if you spend even just a moment looking, you will find a cruise option that is tailored to your specific interest, taste, region and budget.”
Expedia also has added eight luxury cruise brands, including Windstar Cruises, Regent Seven Sea Cruises and Paul Gaugin Cruises, to take tourists to the Mediterranean and northern Europe in the summer and to South America, the Arctic and the Caribbean in the winter.
“Expedia has seen a big uptick in revenue this year, thanks to a boost in hotel bookings and higher advertising revenue — signs that the travel industry is recovering from the economic downturn,” says the newspaper.
By David Wilkening
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