Types of cruise tourism
A sea cruise is a journey usually in a closed circle with radial trips from ports to the interior of countries.
There are more than 150 sea cruise companies in the world - Greek, Italian, Spanish, American, Danish, Norwegian. The most well-known carriers in the sea cruise industry include Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrate Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Princess Cruises, Costa Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines. Every year the number of cruise companies increases as the number of tourists showing interest in cruises increases. In 1980 there were 1.5 million sea cruise tourists, in 1993 - 4.5 million, in 1996 - 6.5 million, in 2003 - 9 million, in 2006 this figure reached 12 million tourists. Since the early 1980s. The number of cruise ships is also growing. In 1985, there were 120 sea cruise ships, in 1994 - 175, in 2003 - 327, and in 2012 the number of sea cruise ships was 628. There is not only quantitative, but also qualitative growth in sea cruise transportation and ships . Cruise ships, like hotels, are rated using a variety of criteria and are then assigned a certain number of stars. The following criteria are used: the ship and its equipment, the state of the cabins, food, service, entertainment programs, and a range of additional services on board.
Sea cruise ships are classified according to quality of service and level of comfort as follows:
Standard (2* 4*);
Premium (5* 5*+);
Luxury (6*).
For sea cruise ships, a classification by tonnage is also accepted (the volume of the internal space of the ship in gross tons, 100 cubic feet is 1 gross ton):
Large (over 60 thousand gross tons);
Medium (up to 60 thousand gross tons);
Small (up to 25 thousand gross tons).
Recently there has been a trend towards the construction of large cruise ships. Until recently, the largest cruise ship was considered the 1-deck Harmony of the Seas, owned by Royal Caribbean. Its displacement is 142 thousand tons, the number of passengers is 2,200 tourists and 1,180 crew members. The dimensions of the vessel are unique: 362 m long, 60 m wide. A special feature of this liner is that for the first time an ice skating rink and a real promenade under a glass dome were built on board the ship. In January 2003, the new largest ocean liner Queen Mary 2 was launched in Southampton. Its displacement is 150 thousand tons, the height from the waterline is 70 m. The new liner took 2,620 tourists on board.
Cruise routes are classified according to their duration:
For short-term (from several hours to several days);
Medium-term (from 5 to 13 days);
Long-term (up to 2 months).
Cabins on sea cruise ships are very diverse in size, interior, and range of amenities, which, naturally, is reflected in the price.
The most general classification of cabins:
Economical (cabins with artificial lighting);
Standard (with windows);
Premium (with balconies).
The cruise company Royal Caribbean has its own classification of cabins:
1) luxury cabins with ocean views:
R - royal apartment: separate bedroom with double bed, private veranda, shower, usual amenities, living room with sofa, piano, refrigerator, mini bar, dining room;
A - "Owners Suite": large bed, private veranda, separate living room with sofa, refrigerator, mini bar;
AA - “royal family suite”: two bedrooms with beds, a living room with a sofa, a private veranda, a refrigerator, two bathrooms;
B - "grand suite": two beds, private veranda, armchairs, sofa, refrigerator.
C - "superior suite": two beds, individual veranda, armchairs, sofa, refrigerator;
D - deluxe cabin: two beds, private veranda, armchairs, sofa, refrigerator;
2) family cabins with ocean view:
FF - large cabins designed to accommodate 6 people;
3) cabins with ocean view:
F, H, I - comfortable cabins, equipped with two beds, with the usual amenities, toilet, TV, telephone;
4) internal cabins:
K, L, M, N, O, P, Q - comfortable cabins, equipped with two beds, with the usual amenities, toilet, TV, telephone.
An important feature of cruise tours is the organization of entertainment on board. There are various clubs on cruise ships, actors are invited to perform, shows are held, and there are gambling clubs and casinos. As a rule, a cruise tour is organized on an all-inclusive basis, which includes meals, use of gyms and equipment, and an entertainment program. One of the advantages of cruise tours is their visa-free nature. Passengers can stay in ports and take excursions for 48-72 hours without a visa. The biggest drawback of cruises is their fairly high price. But recently, budget cruise companies have appeared.
The following price classification of cruise routes has been adopted:
Economical ($75,150 per person per night);
Classic ($100-200 per person per day);
Premium ($150-400 per person per day);
Suite ($700-1000 per person per night);
Exclusive (more than $1000 per person per day).
The main areas of sea cruises are the Caribbean and the Mediterranean Sea. The main advantage of the Caribbean is that cruises can be enjoyed all year round. The duration of cruise routes ranges from 3 days to 2 weeks, routes are classified into the following destinations: Western Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean, Southern Caribbean. Classic sea cruises are the Mediterranean Sea. Cruise routes cover several European countries - Spain, France, Italy, Greece - and North African countries - Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt. Cruises along the coasts of Britain, Scandinavia and Russia are very popular. Some cruise companies organize trips around the world lasting more than 120-140 days.
In the last few years, cruise routes to the shores of Antarctica and the North Pole have become popular. Ice cruises operate all year round: in summer the routes go to the Arctic, in winter the main destination is Antarctica. The American company Quark Expedition organizes cruises on the Russian icebreaker "Captain Khlebnikov" along the route Spitsbergen - Greenland - Canada - Chukotka - Spitsbergen. The cost of "ice" cruises is quite high - from 10 thousand dollars to 18 thousand dollars, but the annual demand is growing steadily by 2%, and at the expense of Russian tourists.
Recently, ferry cruises have become very popular as a type of sea cruise. Mainly due to their short duration and cost-effectiveness. Modern ferries used for cruise purposes are multi-deck ships. Travel on comfortable ferries from Viking Line, Silja Line, DFDS Seaways, Fjord Line, Smyril Line, Color Line, Superfast series is in great demand on the Russian market. The undoubted leaders in demand are comfortable ferry cruises operated on the Baltic Sea by Silja Line and Viking Line. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the geographical convenience of the port of departure - Helsinki. It is easy to get here from Moscow and St. Petersburg. Secondly, the “compactness” of the cruise - in the shortest version, it takes two nights on the ship and one day in Stockholm. It is possible to go on this cruise even for a week end. At the same time, the cruise can be extended to include longer stays in Stockholm and Helsinki. Thirdly, corporate events can be held on the ferry. Fourthly, tourists are offered a wide range of entertainment on board the ferries: duty-free shops, discos, all-inclusive restaurants, swimming pools and saunas. Fifthly, in a short period tourists have the opportunity to visit the capitals of two European countries. The duration of such cruise routes is from 2 to 4 days, including visits to two countries - Finland and Sweden. When staying on ferries, tourists are provided with comfortable cabins of various categories, designed for people with different incomes. In addition to Viking Line and Silja Line, cruises from the young company Superfast are in great demand. Unlike the giant ferries of the Viking Line and Silja Line, which can accommodate several thousand tourists, the ships of the Superfast company take on board no more than 600 passengers. At the same time, on any of the ferries there are shops, several restaurants, saunas, and jacuzzi. The main advantage of Superfast cruises is speed. Ferries take tourists from Finland to Germany in 21 hours. Superfast ferries are ideal for incentive tours: they have everything you need not only for relaxation, but also for holding seminars.
Transportation of tourists by sea is regulated by legal acts of international and national legislation. During international transportation, treaties and conventions apply, among which the Athens Convention on the Carriage of Passengers and Luggage by Sea, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to the Carriage of Passengers by Sea, the International Convention on Search and Rescue sea. When transporting tourists in Russian territorial waters, the Merchant Shipping Code of the Russian Federation applies.
Sea cruises on small sailing yachts have also become popular. There are two forms of yacht rental: without a crew (bareboat charter) and with a crew (time charter). To travel on yachts when calling at any foreign port, a visa is not required. A yacht is accepted for a day using the so-called vessel passport, issued to the owner of the vessel or skipper.
According to WTO statistics, the annual stable increase in tourists using one or another form of sea cruises is 8%.
Cruises on inland waterways (rivers, lakes, canals) are usually called river cruises. Travel on rivers and lakes is most developed in countries rich in navigable rivers. River cruises can be in one direction or have a circular route. River cruise routes, depending on transportation conditions, their duration and length, and the quality of services provided, are divided into transport, tourist, and excursion. Transport routes provide transport links between individual settlements and operate, as a rule, according to a pre-published schedule. River vessels operated on transport routes carry out transit (over 400 km in length), local (less than 400 km in length), suburban and intra-city transportation of tourists. Transport routes also include ferry and ferry lines. Tourist transportation is organized along traditional and special routes lasting more than 24 hours. Excursion routes represent the transportation of excursionists lasting less than 24 hours, as a rule, these are intracity and suburban river routes.
River cruise tourism is most developed in European countries (France, Germany, Romania, Hungary, Italy). Popular cruise routes are along the Loire, Rhine, Rhone, Seine, and Elbe. Vessels used on river routes in Europe belong to the premium class. Dutch cruise company Sea Cloud operates two luxury river cruise ships. In Russia, as a rule, river vessels built in the 1980s are used. Among the most comfortable liners, cruise ships carrying out long-distance transportation, projects 301 and 302, should be highlighted. Motor ships of these projects, as a rule, have three or four decks and are equipped with comfortable cabins designed for single, double, triple and quadruple occupancy. The classification of cabins into categories depending on the level of comfort has been accepted. The level of comfort is a criterion of several components: the number and location of seats in the cabin, the location of the cabin along the length and height of the ship, the area and shape of the cabin, the availability of amenities and sanitary facilities, the type of lighting. On board the ships, tourists can enjoy restaurants, cafes, bars, a cinema hall, and shops.
On river cruise routes in Russia, motor ships of projects Q 040 (Ilya Repin, Maxim Gorky), Q 065 (Sergey Yesenin), 92 016 (Fedor Shalyapin), 305 (Salavat Yulaev), 588 (“Mikhail Kutuzov”). The organizers of river cruises are shipowners, shipping companies, and cruise tour operators. The Volga River Shipping Company operates cruises on the following routes: Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod - Moscow (10 days, with visits to the cities of Uglich, Myshkin, Kostroma, Ples, Murom), Moscow - Ples - Moscow (6 days, with visits to the cities of Uglich, Myshkin, Yaroslavl , Kostroma). Moscow River Shipping Company operates cruise routes Moscow - Astrakhan - Moscow (20 days), Moscow - St. Petersburg - Moscow (13 days), Moscow - Yaroslavl - Moscow (5 days), Moscow - Uglich - Moscow (3 days). Long-term cruises on the Ob, Irtysh, Lena, Yenisei, and Amur rivers have become very popular. The duration of these cruises is on average 18 days. As a rule, such cruises are combined with land routes. For example, a cruise along the Yenisei is combined with a flight to the North Pole. During a cruise along the Lena, tourists get acquainted with the life of Yakut villages and have the opportunity to hunt.
Nile cruises (Cairo - Luxor, 3-5 days) are very popular on the Russian market. These cruise routes are combined with a recreational tour (vacation in Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh). Cruise ships operating on routes along the Nile are usually of the "5*" or "luxury" category. Service on cruise ships is carried out on an all-inclusive basis, this applies to accommodation, meals, and excursion programs.
Transportation of tourists on river cruises in Russia is regulated by the Water Code of the Russian Federation and the Code of Inland Water Transport of the Russian Federation. The provisions of these legal acts apply to all inland water routes, ports and regulate all activities related to the organization of river cruises.
Features of organizing cruise travel
cruise tourism sea Crimea
The organization of sea and river travel and cruises is carried out by specialized tourist and excursion companies or bureaus. In Russia, most of these organizations were created by shipping companies or commercial shipping companies. The shipping commercial company "Baltic Lines" has a tour in its structure. Bureaux dealing with inbound water and international tourism, as well as organizing air transportation of Russian tourists to Sweden.
Other tours also engage in sea and river travel. bureaus and agencies.
Sea and river cruises are carried out on local (between ports of one state) and international (between ports of different states) coastal lines.
On a cruise ship or ferry there is a special cashier desk where passengers can exchange currency, pay a bill, order a taxi at the point of arrival or transit, book excursions, and also receive a special credit card for service on the ship.
In each cabin, a deck plan of the ship is posted indicating all rooms, passages (including emergency ones), the ship's movement schedule indicating parking points, a list of services on the ship, rules for passengers, emergency evacuation procedures, and other information.
Tourists' luggage that they do not need during the voyage is checked into a storage room, the rest is considered cabin luggage.
According to international rules, a ship with more than 12 passengers must have a ship's doctor.
In this section we will talk about sea and river transport. But first, let's define the concept of transport. Transport (from the Latin trans - “through” and portare - “to carry”) is a set of means designed to move people and goods from one place to another.
Often the term “transport” refers to the entire set of infrastructure, management, vehicles and transport enterprises that make up the transport system or sector of the economy.
Sea and river transport has always been an important area of the national economy. These types of transport not only fulfilled the task of timely supplying other sectors of the economy with necessary goods, products, etc., but were also always profitable, since they contributed not only national, but also foreign currency to the state budget. The efficiency of this area of the economy largely depends on the level of its management. Therefore, depending on the state of the economy and the political situation, the management of the above transport sectors has always been quite dynamic [Volkov Yu.F., 2003, p.157].
Maritime transport plays an important role in the transport system of Russia (its importance is evidenced by the fact that the length of Russia's maritime borders is 44,300 km (total length - 58,600 km)). It is superior to other types of transport in many technical and economic indicators: sea transportation over long distances is cheaper; sea vessels, especially tankers, are distinguished by the largest single carrying capacity, and sea routes have practically unlimited throughput; The specific energy intensity of transportation is low. At the same time, the dependence of maritime transport on natural conditions (especially in conditions of frozen sea waters), the need to create complex and expensive port facilities on the sea coasts, the distance from the sea coasts of the main economic regions and centers of the country, relatively weak economic and foreign trade relations with countries, located outside Europe limit its scope of application in Russia.
Today, maritime transport in the world is experiencing a happy period of growth. The cruise fleet is growing, the designs of passenger ships are being improved, their comfort is increasing, and new sea and ocean routes are being developed. Boat travel is most popular in the USA, Great Britain and Germany. Demand for cruise voyages is noted in France, Italy, Switzerland and other countries.
There are several dozen specialized cruise companies around the world, operating from 1-2 to 15-20 passenger ships. Most cruise operators are united in a professional international association - Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). She coordinates the cruise business internationally. In recent years, the image of a cruise as a tourism product has changed. The ship has turned into a floating hotel, where an atmosphere of entertainment and celebration reigns. Thanks to intensive advertising campaigns, the attractiveness of cruises has increased among all segments of the population. Sea cruises are one of the most comfortable, and therefore the most expensive, types of vacation. Prices for Russian water travel are three to five times lower than global prices, thanks to lower freight rates for ships and cheaper service. For this reason, competition in the domestic cruise market exists only between “our own” travel agencies and is almost absent with foreign ones.
Now let's talk about river transport and river cruises. Inland water transport (also known as river transport) is one of the oldest types of transport. Russia has a large and extensive network of rivers and lakes. However, it plays a significant role either in those regions where the directions of the main transport and economic connections and river routes coincide (the Volga-Kama river basin in the European part of Russia), or in poorly developed regions with an almost complete absence of alternative modes of transport (North and North east of the country).
Inland river transport is located mainly in the flows of large rivers, the main requirement for which is navigability. [Osipova O.Ya., 2006, p. 85]
Today, river transport is experiencing a happy period. The cruise fleet has grown, more and more new routes are being developed.
As for river transport, unlike sea transport, river transport is less susceptible to weather influences, more informative, since it has a coastal view, and there is an excellent opportunity to use green parking lots.
In river transport, there are 2 forms of fleet organization: linear and voyage. Linear form - regular transportation of passengers in certain areas. Cruise is a form in which the fleet is not assigned to certain areas, it does not have permanent points of departure and destination. This happens, as a rule, on small rivers or where ships manage to make one trip during navigation.
River cruises have gained immense popularity recently.
They vary in length, duration of routes, and topics. Typically, cruises are offered from 7 to 15 days. There are educational, sports, gastronomic cruises, etc. The demand for river cruises is increasing every year. Short-term cruises of up to five days are of particular interest. This is due to the fact that most tourists prefer to take weekends during their trip so as not to miss working days. During this time, tourists manage to visit many places without ever changing hotels. River cruises are especially attractive for middle-aged and elderly people: unlike sea travel, the land is visible all the time, and there is no seasickness. [Birzhakov M.B., 2003, p. 115]
And so, the conclusion can be drawn that cruises have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, a high level of comfort and the ability to combine different types of tourism are undoubtedly a “big plus”, but the “minus” here is: the high cost of the cruise, low speed of movement and some people experience “seasickness”.
The main consumers in the sea and river cruise market are people with high incomes, over 40 years of age and most often traveling with their families.
Unlike sea cruises, river cruises are less susceptible to weather influences, more informative, as they have a coastal view, and there is an excellent opportunity to use green parking lots.
Send your good work in the knowledge base is simple. Use the form below
Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.
Similar documents
Main types of tourism. The cruise industry is a rapidly growing sector of the tourism industry. Classification of sea cruise ships. Cruises on inland waterways (rivers, lakes, canals). Features of river walks. Volumes of tourist traffic.
abstract, added 09/13/2014
Legal issues of regulation of transportation of tourists by sea and inland water transport. Advantages, disadvantages and motivation of tourists on water travel. Cruise business in the global tourism market. Contractual documentation for motor ship cruise, yachting.
course work, added 12/20/2010
Sea routes. Modern means of maritime passenger transportation. Linear transportation. Cruise tourism. Ferry lines and crossings across the straits. Sailing cruise ships. Cruises on vintage and traditional sailing ships. Cruise yacht tourism.
abstract, added 06/03/2008
The essence of sea cruises and travel with comprehensive services on board the ship. Russian Tourist Marine Fleet; tourist, pleasure, linear transport and special flights. Services on a cruise, responsibilities of the parties when organizing sea cruises.
abstract, added 07/18/2010
Analysis of the cruise tourism market. History of sea travel in the Russian Federation. Specifics of their organization and implementation, problems and development prospects. The state of maritime transport in the country. Cruise insurance. Tour development, advertising measures for its promotion.
thesis, added 01/21/2016
Theoretical foundations for the formation of the cruise tourism industry. Types of cruises, characteristics and selection of ships. Analysis of the state of this sphere in the Baikal region. The main problems of organizing and prospects for the development of water travel in the Baikal region.
course work, added 04/20/2015
Traveling along rivers and lakes is one of the most favorite ways of recreation in countries with developed inland water systems. The advantage of cruises carried out on inland waterways over sea cruises. Inland water transport.
course work, added 12/23/2008
The emergence and development of tourism. Formation and promotion of tours. Accommodation and catering services in tourism. Classification of hotels, main services and their purpose. Road and rail transportation. Sea, river and air travel.
course work, added 01/21/2011
In the context of its historical development, the role of domestic river cruise tourism in the development of tourism in Russia is revealed.
River cruise tourism occupies a special place among the main types of tourism. It refers to the main method of recreation in countries with developed inland water systems. Russia has a dense river network, which allows organizing various cruise programs. This area of tourism is considered one of the highest priority and highly profitable sectors of the modern tourism business. At the same time, the cruise product is new for Russian consumers and has not yet been studied enough to become widespread. At the same time, this type of tourism is one of the most promising and dynamic areas of the tourism industry. The sales volume of this tourist product tends to grow by 20-25% per year, especially on the Volga River. These data were announced at the All-Russian conference “Main opportunities, priorities and directions for the development of cruise infrastructure”1. According to the World Tourism Organization, in an unstable economic situation, cruise tourism is the only profitable area of the global tourism business2. However, in Russia, the greatest water power with colossal natural, cultural and historical potential, cruise tourism occupies only a small place in the country's tourism market. The development of this area is hampered by a number of problems, the main of which are the lack of an effective regional investment policy and active image positioning of Russia as a water power. Solving existing problems should become one of the policy priorities of regions of the country that have enormous potential for the development of cruise tourism. According to government officials, cruise tourism needs to be developed in all constituent entities of the Russian Federation3.
Cruise tourism is a special type of tourism, as it is a rather labor-intensive, capital-intensive direction that combines several types of tourism, such as recreational, sports, health, and educational.
Considering the concept of “cruise”, it is noted that there are quite a large number of definitions for this concept. So, A.V. Babkin understands a cruise as travel by water transport, including shore excursions, sightseeing in port cities, as well as a variety of entertainment on board sea and river liners4. A.S. Kuskov defines a cruise as a sea or river tour, the base price of which includes comprehensive services: travel on the ship, accommodation in a cabin, meals, entertainment and, as a rule, a number of special events on board the ship5. According to D.S. Ushakova, the main feature of cruises as a type of travel - the combination of a vehicle, accommodation, food and leisure on board the ship - allows organizers to solve the main problem of domestic tourism - the lack of accommodation facilities offering services that meet international quality standards, and the underdevelopment of tourist infrastructure 6.
Cruises on inland waterways (rivers, lakes, canals) are usually called river cruises7. According to A.S. Kuskova river cruise is a unique tourist product, which is a water route, most often multi-day, on a river boat, where the tourist is provided with a package of transportation, accommodation and meals, entertainment, land excursion and other tourist services and services29. River cruises are very informative, because... The route, as a rule, involves parking in cities and towns with various attractions. A cruise allows a tourist to travel a fairly long distance, while the movement occurs at night. In addition, compared to sea travel, cruises carried out on inland waterways are less susceptible to weather influences, have fewer passengers and slower traffic.
River cruises also have the following properties:
Unique properties of the tourist product, which allow you to get acquainted with natural and historical places in Russia and, possibly, foreign countries in a short time when performing cruises according to the “river-sea-river” scheme;
Possibility of conducting tours with various programs aimed only at recreation, combining recreation and sports, business trips, seminars, etc.;
Simplified visa regime for cruisers when visiting port cities in foreign countries - the cruise directorate provides tourists who have not obtained a visa with permission to disembark and stay ashore according to the so-called cruise lists;
Quite a high level of service8.
In general, water tourist travel has a number of advantages: a significant volume of one-time load, the highest level of comfort, the ability to implement various types and purposes of tourism, the possibility of a good rest, a full range of life support. The disadvantages of water travel are: low speed (relative disadvantage), confined space syndrome, limited mobility, susceptibility of some people to seasickness, and in some cases high tariffs9.
Transportation of people by water goes back to ancient times. Since biblical times, man has sought to build a floating craft with which he could travel near and far. It should be noted that among modern modes of transport, water transport is one of the most ancient. Before the advent of railways, it played a decisive role in meeting the country’s transport needs10.
In Russia, people's travel along river routes has been known since the reign of Ivan the Terrible. In Rus', pilgrimage to holy places was developed everywhere, which could only be reached, most often, by rivers. In the fifteenth century, the Orthodox monastery, which was located on the Solovetsky Islands, enjoyed great fame. In addition to the monastery, there were many Christian hermitages there. Ordinary people traveled along the river to the Solovetsky Islands by boat. During the river voyage, the pilgrims made rest stops and had a meal on the shore of the lake. Rich Russians at that time loved to travel on river boats to nearby cities.
The very first documented water travels are Nikitin's expeditions to Persia, India and Africa in 1422 - 1472 in order to search for new markets and explore overseas countries. In 1628, Khabarov reached Taimyr along the Lena River, and then walked along the Olekma River to the Ussuri River, thus exploring most of Siberia.
One of the first state documents concerning river navigation was the Code of 1649 - a set of laws adopted by the Zemsky Sobor in 1648-1649. In Chapter IX “On tolls and on transportation and on bridges” of this Code it was said: “And on which rivers ships sail, and on those rivers do not make new ponds and dams and mills, so that on those rivers new ponds and dams do not take over the navigation ... And if anyone builds a dam on such a river, he should also make a gate for the passage of that dam, so that ships can pass through those gates.” And if such a move is not made, “... break down their mills and dams, so that with those mills and dams the road will not be blocked in the future, and there will be no delay or loss for the servants and all people, no matter who they are.” Thus, the Code of 1649 was the first legislative act that established freedom of navigation on inland waterways.11
Before the advent of the steam fleet, a large number of different vessels, having different sizes, purposes and designs, sailed along the country's rivers. Most of the ships were original and moved mainly by self-rafting, with the help of wind, oars, towline, and horse traction. Common features of all wooden river ships until the 18th century. there was rough preparation of the body elements. The outer cladding was made from thick, unevenly cut “axe” boards, and the transverse and longitudinal sets were made from whole logs or “cuts” - that is, logs split in half lengthwise. Similar craftsmanship existed until woodworking techniques developed. The appearance in Russia of “saw mills” and the boards they produced made it possible to build a new type of ship.
The real development of river tourism began already in the eighteenth century with the development of river transport, which is associated with the transformations of Peter I. Under the influence of the tsar's decrees, foreign types of vessels began to appear. However, at first, river shipbuilding was the result of the creativity of Russian craftsmen. The most interesting ships in the old days were raskivs and belyans with sails set and decorated with paintings and carvings. They disappeared by the end of the 70s of the 19th century. In 1714-1715 Peter I issued a number of decrees banning the construction of clumsy “old-style” ships and their use for delivering goods to St. Petersburg via the Vyshnevolotsk system, proposing the construction of “new-style” ships. Among the latter were ships of foreign types, more durable, streamlined in shape, made of sawn boards with metal fastenings.
During the reign of Peter I, the first “water” resorts, such as Marcial Waters, began to be created. In the 18th century, cruise tourism became an important part of social life. The nobles traveled throughout Europe, America, and the East, exploring other countries and expanding their horizons. Thus, Peter I not only developed shipbuilding, sea expeditions and trade, but also taught people to travel for medicinal, educational and entertainment purposes. He became the founder and popularizer of modern cruise tourism12. Tsar Peter the Great is considered one of the first lovers of river tourism. The restless autocrat loved to travel to different Russian cities with his numerous servants. Under Peter I, the construction of the Volga-Don shipping canal between the Don tributary of the river was also resumed. Ilovlya and the river flowing into the Volga. Kamyshinka, begun in the second half of the 16th century. by the Turks. A part of the connecting canal was dug and several locks were built, but due to the outbreak of war with Sweden, construction work was stopped in 1701. To connect the Volga with the Don, attempts were made to build a canal between Lake Ivanovo, where the Don originates, and the river. Shatyu, a tributary of the river. Upa, flowing into the Oka. By 1707, more than 20 stone locks had been built, but due to the transfer of Azov to the Turks (under the terms of the peace treaty), work was also stopped in 1711. Thus, the first attempts to carry out work on waterways in the interests of navigation did not make any changes to the navigation conditions of ships. Rivers were used for navigation purposes in their natural state, and navigation on them was not always safe.13
The 19th century was a stage of rapid development of the shipping industry. In 1813, horse-drawn vehicles (using horses) appeared. The first Russian steam ship was built on the Neva in 1815 by the owner of a mechanical foundry in St. Petersburg, Karl Bird.14 He organized a steamship company, the purpose of which was to establish navigation on the Volkhov, Mologa and Volga rivers. The beginning of commercial shipping was laid. In 1823, the JSC “Steam Shipping Company on the Volga, Kama and Caspian Sea” JSC was created on the Volga, and in 1843 the steamship company “Along the Volga” was formed in St. Petersburg. In 1853, a special society “Airplane” was organized. Through his efforts in Belgium, several passenger steamers with a capacity of 50 rated power, 47 m long, with numerous buildings and premises were built: “Ondine”, “Experienced”, “Rezvyy”, “Kazan” and others. They were assembled in Tver, where workshops were organized15.
And so in the 19th century, steamships began to be used on inland waterways, and the first river motor ship, and the first motor ship in the world, was built in 1903 in Russia. Despite this, until approximately the middle of the 19th century in Russia, cruise tourism mainly pursued purely utilitarian goals. Ultimately, it was not tourism as such, but expeditions for trade, research, and scientific purposes. Tourism, based on the political, economic and social characteristics of imperial Russia, could not be mass entertainment. Only a select few could travel.
As a result of the rapid pace of development of the shipping industry, by 1907 Russia had the largest river fleet in the world, most of which was located in the Volga River basin16. On the Volga River by the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. Dozens of joint-stock companies were created for shipbuilding and operation of steamships, and later motor ships. By 1913, 11 motor ships were built, which made it possible to open the Nizhny Novgorod – Astrakhan passenger line.
Pre-revolutionary Russian tourism differed from its European or American counterparts mainly in its religious specifics. Not only fairly wealthy people traveled abroad and around the country with the goal of “seeing the world, showing themselves off,” but also pilgrims to worship holy places. Property qualifications did not play a special role in such trips: both great princes and rich merchants, as well as completely ordinary villagers, sailed on steamships to the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. For example, in 1914, 35-40 thousand people visited the Promised Land annually, mostly peasants. This was also noted by the poet Andrei Bely, who wrote about the Easter holidays of 1911 in Jerusalem: “Half of Jerusalem speaks Russian... now there are 6,000 peasant pilgrims here.” It is interesting that almost a hundred years later, such trips (though most often as part of cruise tours) began to be in just as great demand in Russia. The First World War, and later the revolution of 1917, interrupted this tradition. But as soon as the country began to revive after the catastrophic devastation, the development of tourism began at the state level.
In the second half of the 30s. last century, river travel became one of the forms of encouragement and recreation for leaders of production and representatives of the political and cultural elite. The war prevented the transformation of river cruises into a mass form of recreation, and only from the second half of the 50s. XX century they became available to a wide range of the population.
In 1959, the Central Council for Tourism and Excursions of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions organized the first river route. During this year's navigation, 10 ships transported 12 thousand travelers. In Soviet times, the Volga shipping industry ranked second in the world in terms of vessel capacity and scale of river transportation, second only to the deep-sea waterway along the St. Lawrence River in North America, and in first place in the world in terms of the number of vessels with mechanical engines. Also at that time, rivers and reservoirs were actively used for organizing ship excursions17.
In the 60-80s. XX century river cruises in Russia were extremely fashionable.
In the 70s In the USSR, comfortable four-deck motor ships of German, Czechoslovak and Austrian construction appeared, which are still in successful operation today.
In the early 70s. The ships went to Rostov, Moscow, Perm, Nizhny Novgorod, and St. Petersburg. The most popular cruise in the USSR was on the Volga: Moscow - Astrakhan - Moscow or Leningrad - Astrakhan - Leningrad lasting from 20 to 24 days. Despite the large number of ships operating on these routes, the demand for such tours exceeded the supply many times, and vouchers for river tours could only be obtained by the elite part of society, and bookings were made almost a year in advance. The passenger fleet switched from two- and three-deck motor ships to orders abroad for luxury passenger motor ships - four-deck ones. For that time, these ships were truly the most comfortable. It is only the modernized three-deck motor ships that have left behind the once-called “beautiful” four-deck ships.
The situation began to change in the late 80s: with the end of the state monopoly in tourism, large and small companies began to independently use the passenger fleet. River cruises were the highest quality type of vacation in Russia, even taking into account all the service problems of that time. In total, by 1988, 8.3 thousand trips on motor ships for tourists were organized in the USSR. About 40 local tourism and excursion boards chartered boats and organized trips for citizens in their regions. Volgograd, Saratov, Samara, Ulyanovsk, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow were the main excursion centers for traveling tourists18.
In the nineties of the twentieth century, a civilized tourism services market was formed, the leading place in which was occupied by large companies aimed at serious long-term work. In addition, the well-being of citizens has improved somewhat, stability has appeared and, at the same time, a craving for active and interesting recreation has appeared. In 1997, Russia reached the “peak” of river cruises, when the majority of chartered ships were fully loaded, and in some cases demand exceeded supply.
In the last decade, the cruise market has been characterized by four factors: specialization of the offer, sailing on small comfortable ships, matching the size of the ship with the range of services, and automation. The first three factors developed already in the 80s of the 20th century in the form of expedition cruises, sailings on luxury yachts and huge ships with more than three thousand seats. However, in subsequent years, these factors faded into the background, and automation took first place. In the cruise business, there is a need to create a simple information system management19.
Due to its geographical location, Russia has a unique extensive network of navigable rivers, canals, and lake systems, which are actively used in cruise tourism. The main rivers run along the meridian, connecting the northern and southern regions with navigable routes. The country has the longest coastline in the world - 37,653 km, which is rich in cultural monuments and natural attractions, including those included in the UNESCO World Heritage List20. The length of exploited inland waterways is about 100 thousand km, of which more than 16 are artificially created canals and reservoirs.
The water system of Russia includes rivers - the European part of Russia: Volga, Kama, Oka, Don; the Asian part - Ob, Yenisei, Svir, Lena, Irtysh, Amur, etc., as well as lakes - Baikal, Ladoga, Onega, Ilmen, Chudskoye, etc. Tourist and recreational use of Russian lakes is not as intensive as rivers. They are mainly used by the local population for short-term forms of recreation. The exceptions are lakes Baikal, Seliger, and Teletskoye.
Russia's navigable river routes belong to different basins. The main one among them is the Volga-Kama basin, the economically most developed part of the country. This is the core of the Unified Deep-Sea System of the European part of Russia. The Unified Deep-Sea System also includes:
The White Sea-Baltic Canal, which shortened the route from the White Sea to the Baltic Sea by 4 times;
The Moscow Canal, which gave the capital deep-water access to the Volga and shortened the waterway to the cities of northwestern Russia by 1000 km;
the Volga-Don Canal, which connected the Volga with the Black and Azov Seas;
The Volga-Baltic Canal is a deep-water route from the White and Baltic seas to the Volga basin21.
Passenger transportation along Russian rivers is carried out by 20 shipping companies subordinate to the Ministry of River Fleet of Russia, the largest of which are Volga, Moscow and North-Western. In addition, transportation of tourists is carried out by shipping companies of the Ministries of River Fleet of neighboring states (Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan), with which Russian tour operators work.
Currently, tourist transportation is carried out by vessels of joint-stock companies and shipping companies: in the central basins - Moscow River Shipping Company, Capital Shipping Company, Volga-Flot-Tour, Kama Shipping Company, Doninturflot, White Sea-Onega Shipping Company, St. Petersburg Passenger port, in the eastern basins - Yenisei, Lena and Amur shipping companies22.
In Russia, as a rule, river vessels built in the 1980s are used. Among the most comfortable liners, it is worth highlighting cruise ships carrying out long-distance transportation, projects 301 and 302. The ships of these projects have three or four decks and are equipped with comfortable cabins designed for single, double, triple and quadruple occupancy. Such vessels sail on tourist routes along the Volga, Kama, Don, as well as along the rivers and lakes of the Volga-Baltic route. On river cruise routes in Russia, motor ships of projects Q 040 (Ilya Repin, Maxim Gorky, etc.), Q 065 (Sergey Yesenin, etc.), 92-016 (Fedor Chaliapin, etc.) are also used. ), 305 (“Salavat Yulaev”, etc.), 588 (“Mikhail Kutuzov”, etc.)23.
River cruises cover the following main cities and areas: St. Petersburg (Valaam Island), Petrozavodsk (Kizhi Island), Goritsy, Cherepovets; Moscow, Tver, Dubna, Kimry, Uglich, Myshkin, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ples, Kineshma, Gorodets, Nizhny Novgorod, Makaryev, Kozmodemyansk, Cheboksary, Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, Naberezhnye Chelny, Tchaikovsky, Perm; Ulyanovsk, Dmitrovograd, Togliatti, Samara, Syzran, Balakovo, Saratov, Kamyshin, Volzhsky, Volgograd, Astrakhan; Volgodonsk, Rostov-on-Don, Yeisk24.
Among the most popular Russian river routes, the routes of the North-Western region stand out. The largest shipowner in the North-West is the North-Western River Shipping Company. The most popular routes are short-term cruises (2-4 days) from St. Petersburg to the islands of Lake Ladoga Konevets, Valaam, as well as Lake Onega Kizhi, where educational and pilgrimage navigations are organized25.
Traditionally, longer routes along the Volga are in high demand. The largest river fleet in terms of its composition is concentrated on the river. Volga-Flot-Tour is a practically monopoly owner of a fleet of the largest passenger ships. Popular routes are from Moscow to Kazan, Perm, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don. River travel is also carried out in a number of other cities - Samara, Saratov, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladivostok, etc.
On the Siberian rivers Ob and Irtysh there are 12-day cruise routes from Omsk to Khanty-Mansiysk, Surgut, and Salekhard. On the Yenisei there are cruise routes in the direction Krasnoyarsk - Dudinka - Dikson Island with access to the Yenisei Bay. On Lake Baikal, travel agencies from Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude organized 7- and 12-day cruises on small ships. Along the Amur, weekly and two-week cruises are carried out on routes from Blagoveshchensk to Nikolaevsk and back, as well as from Khabarovsk to Nikolaevsk and back.
In the Asian part of Russia, cruises on the Lena River are in demand. One of the popular routes is the exotic route “To the Arctic Ocean” from Yakutsk to Tiksi, Lena Pillars and back on the ship “Mikhail Svetlov” (project Q-065).
The Moscow Around the World or “River Golden Ring” is the world’s only river circular motor-ship tourist route, the length of which is more than 1800 km. The ship never passes through the same section twice.
The Moscow – St. Petersburg route can be called one of the most famous and popular motor ship routes along the rivers and lakes of Russia26.
Thus, Russia’s water potential creates rich opportunities for the development of river cruise tourism, but, unfortunately, it is not possible to fully use it - the industry faces objective difficulties.
The Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Russian Federation27 identified the main factors hindering the development of cruise tourism in Russia:
Imperfection of the regulatory framework regulating the tourism industry;
Insufficient development of tourism infrastructure and its significant moral and physical wear and tear;
Lack of effective regional investment policy;
Insufficient range of modern tourism products and recognizable brands;
Lack of active image positioning of Russia as a water power;
Shortage of qualified professional personnel.
The experience of foreign countries shows that the success of the tourism industry directly depends on how it is perceived at the state level and the extent to which it enjoys state support. Therefore, the elimination of the above problems should be carried out at the state level.
Unfortunately, the current dynamics of development of domestic cruise tourism in Russia are not favorable. However, the prospects for its development are highly assessed, which is the reason for positive changes in this industry. Currently, many travel companies and associations assign this direction one of the main roles in the development of domestic tourism. Thus, most cruise companies operate in the cruise market under the slogan “Time to vacation in Russia.” These are companies such as Infoflot, Volga-Flot-Tour, etc.28. Today in Russia there are over one and a half thousand options for cruise travel on the country's rivers and lakes.
The Russian Union of Travel Industry (RST) and representatives of the Russian cruise business are planning to form the Russian Cruise Tourism Association with the aim of developing it in the country29. The government of St. Petersburg, in order to successfully develop cruise tourism and attract additional tourists to the city, is developing a number of investment and innovative projects to bring the port infrastructure into line with uniform standards for the reception and servicing of cruise ships. Thus, in St. Petersburg in May 2009, the largest passenger port in Europe, “Marine Facade”30, opened. However, St. Petersburg is only an exception. Most regions
Russia, which has the opportunity to develop cruise tourism, is at the stage of introducing this direction, when its role in the field of domestic tourism is extremely small. According to the first deputy head of the United Russia faction in the State Duma of the Russian Federation, A. Chilingarov, cruise tourism should be developed everywhere in Russia - just as they do in St. Petersburg, and the state and the constituent entities of the Federation should help31.
2.7.1. History of the development of cruise tourism
2.7.2. Classification of sea cruises
2.7.3. Geography of cruise tourism
A cruise is a tourist trip on board a special passenger ship. Initially, a cruise was understood as a sea journey on the same ship along a closed route with stops at ports of interest, sometimes with short-term radial excursions to the interior. Later, river travel also began to be classified as cruises.
2.7.1. History of the development of cruise tourism
Cruise travel appeared in the 50s. XX century But vacations on sea voyages were known back in the Ancient World. The Eastern Mediterranean, replete with numerous islands and convenient bays for the protection of unreliable ships, was an ideal place for recreation on the water. The era of great geographical discoveries (XV-XVI centuries) made voyages to distant countries attractive. Rich people, in search of adventure and for relaxation, rented cabins on ships going on long-distance expeditions, and sometimes even equipped their own ships to distant countries. In the 19th century improvement of sea vessels and increased safety of navigation lead to an increase in the popularity of sea travel. At this time, despite the advent of steamships, “tea” clippers were often used for cruises. These fastest sailing ships plied lines from China, India and Australia, transporting tea and wool. The duration of such voyages was 100 days or more. Between clippers of the same type speed competitions were organized.
The active development of cruises has been taking place since the mid-19th century. in the era of tourism development. Seaside recreation began in England; here, in 1835, regular pleasure voyages to Ireland were organized. At this time, specialized cruise companies appeared. Thomas Cook played a major role in organizing the first cruise trips: from England to America across the Atlantic Ocean, from England to the Black Sea, across the Mediterranean, and around the world trips. End of the 19th century marked by rapid progress in the field of maritime shipping, driven by the advent of steamships and the need for mass transportation of migrants from Europe to America. Competition forces shipowners to build ever larger and faster liners: Lusitania, Titanic, Olympic, Emperor, Vaterland, Queen Mary. These giant ships were used to transport poor people to America on the lower decks and at the same time for cruise travel on the upper deck of wealthy people. Cruise tourism at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. have become a fashionable and rapidly developing type of tourism. But cruise routes were expensive and therefore attracted only wealthy segments of the population.
Tragic events of the early twentieth century. led to a decline in the development of cruises and shipbuilding: the Titanic disaster when it collided with an iceberg, the death of the Lusitania with tourists on board, which was fired upon by a German submarine at the beginning of the First World War.
The true heyday of cruise tourism occurred in the 70s of the twentieth century. At this time, the idea of cruise travel, rich in entertainment, relatively inexpensive, and aimed at the middle class, was realized in the United States. The same type of cruise ships began to be built, which simplified their operation. Ground handling technology was improved and port terminals with high throughput were created.
Cruises are one of the fastest growing market sectors. The cruise fleet is growing, the designs of passenger ships are being improved, their comfort is improving, and new routes are being developed. The largest cruise ships can accommodate up to 3,000 tourists. The total volume of cabins reached 255 thousand (an increase of 10.1% in 2000). Most of the ships are owned by large cruise lines. For example, companies Carnival Cruise Line owns 11 cruise ships, Holland America Lain (8 cruise ships), Windstars Cruises(3 cruise ships). Modern cruise ships provide comfortable accommodation, quality food, and organized leisure time. They are equipped with swimming pools, sports grounds, a golf course, restaurants, cinema halls, music salons, discotheques, helipads and other premises and facilities for a varied and comfortable recreation. Large cruise ships are expensive ships, the average cost of a ship reaches $90 million. The most expensive ship Queen Odyssey- $235 million. Currently the largest passenger ship is Voyager of the Seas owned by a cruise line Royal Caribbean. Its length is 310 meters, displacement is 144 thousand tons.
Currently, sailboats do not lose their attractiveness as cruise passenger ships. On short cruises, large and small yachts are used for sea travel.
Cruise tourism has become one of the most dynamic sectors of the travel industry. In 2000, 12 million tourists took cruise trips, which is 12.6% more than in 1999 (for comparison, the increase in the number of tourists in the world was 7.4%). The vast majority of cruise tourists come from North America, mainly the USA - 61%. Europe's share fell to 22%, with all other regions accounting for only 17%. One of the young and rapidly growing cruise tourism markets is Japan and other Asia-Pacific countries.
