From April 24 to November 17, 2018, approximately 300,000 tourists took cruises on the Moscow waterway. The most popular routes were from Moscow to St. Petersburg and along the Golden Ring.
“About 290 thousand people took cruise ship trips. "This includes excursion and walking routes lasting up to 24 hours, as well as full-fledged cruises lasting from 2-5 days to 15-20 days or more. The total passenger traffic in the Moscow inland waterway basin amounted to 1.33 million people, 71 million more than the previous year," said German Elyanyushkina, head of the Moscow Canal Federal State Budgetary Institution.
He also said that in 2017, a landing site in the center of Ryazan was restored, which allowed cruises to resume after they were interrupted 20 years ago.
"In 2018, seven cruise ships sailed the Oka River, using the new pier for docking and disembarking passengers. While last year, 16 tourist ships (1,500 passengers) docked at the landing stage, this year, 38 ships (3,340 passengers) docked," he added.
According to him, the routes to Moscow are in the greatest demand.
"About 150 pleasure and banquet boats carry a combined total of about 1 million people annually. Vessels depart from city piers every 15-20 minutes. The busiest waterway on the Moscow River for passenger traffic is the 37 km from Lock No. 9 (Karamyshevo) to Lock No. 10 (Pererva). Shipping here continues even in winter: ten icebreaker yachts of the Radisson Flotilla continue to navigate from November until the opening of navigation in April," he noted.
He also noted that the Volga River is a popular cruise destination for tourists. They most frequently visit Tutayev, Kineshma, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Plyos, Cheboksary, Saratov, and Samara, Interfax reports.
"For those who prefer a short break in nature to 7-10-day trips, Vesyegonsk is a popular stop. As part of a 5-7-day voyage, the cruise ship typically makes stops in Yaroslavl, Plyos, Kostroma, Gorodets, and Nizhny Novgorod. From May to early October, three-day tours from Moscow are available, with traditional stops in smaller towns such as Uglich, Myshkin, Kalyazin, and Tver. Vacations in Koprino on the Rybinsk Reservoir are also gaining popularity," said German Elyanyushkin.
Source: trn-news.ru