On September 19th, Viking Cruises released 13 routes covering 42 destinations in 11 European countries, unveiling its 2025 European river boat season with the theme of "True Europe, Colorful Journey". At the same time, it showcased the dedication of Viking river boats in customizing itineraries for Chinese tourists through "addition and subtraction".
It is reported that from March to November 2025, Viking Cruises will offer 96 colorful European routes, including 7 new "river wheel+land tour" routes with a maximum length of 14 days. At the same time, 2 8-day river wheel short routes will also be launched, selecting classic destinations along the two rivers to meet more short vacation travel needs.
The "2023-2024 Cross border Tourism Consumption Trend Research Report" points out that Chinese tourists' preference for outbound destinations is gradually releasing from near to far, and the popularity of European tourism is beginning to rise;
The Oxford Economics report shows that China's outbound market is expected to become the world's largest outbound tourism and consumption market between 2026 and 2033.
As Chinese tourists traveling to Europe become more niche, they are no longer satisfied with checking in at tourist attractions, but are more eager to immerse themselves in local culture. The Viking European Inland River Tour, which is good at leading tourists to explore multiple European countries and delve into local culture, has also won the favor of more and more Chinese tourists.
In the 2025 sailing season, there will be more European river vessel product choices in the Chinese market. Viking not only has its own and self operated fleet, providing high standard service details and a more 'silky' one-stop guest experience, but also brings Chinese guests a truly customized new way of European travel.
Tang Bowen, Managing Director of Viking Cruises China, also stated in his speech that since the launch of the new season in early September, the market has received a warm response, with both the sense of security of group tours and the relaxation of independent travel, confirming that this type of travel is increasingly desired by more and more Chinese tourists.
It is reported that Viking Cruises has always insisted on providing high-quality Chinese services and comfortable experiences tailored for Chinese guests, and the new season will further refine it. Not only limited to providing Chinese guides or hiring translators, but also the hotel service team of over 50 people on board are all Chinese speaking employees; On board, it is not about providing symbolic Chinese materials, but about taking into account various details such as the ship's signage, materials, facilities, catering, and leisure experience... All of this is to create a familiar and comfortable feeling for Chinese guests as if they were returning home, while also providing a sense of security for group tours and relaxation for independent travel.
In the newly released 2025 European river ferry routes, there are 7 brand new "river ferry+land tour" routes, which add one to two night trips on land to the river ferry routes, including destinations in the Czech capital Prague, the Croatian capital Zagreb, and the Belgian capital Brussels;
There are also two 8-day short routes that use "subtraction" to select destinations from the previous 11 day Rhine or Danube routes.
Centered around unlocking the "European essence", the new season's carefully designed highlights not only include well-known big cities, but also allow for in-depth exploration of a variety of treasure towns. Whether experiencing local life and customs, tasting authentic cuisine, or stepping behind the scenes into local specialties or crafts, it provides a total of more than 60 destination guide projects according to statistics. Introduction by Chen Weiyun, Senior Vice President of Product Development and Marketing at Viking Cruises:
Upgrades have also been added - discovering French street food and German beer culture; Visiting an Austrian farm to learn how to make bread, experiencing glass blowing in the Czech Republic, and more. In 2025, choices are indeed diverse.
As of November 11, 2024, bookings of designated room types for the Viking Cruise 2025 season can enjoy a "50% off second person ticket" discount for double occupancy. Bookings for early spring voyages can also enjoy a limited time flash sale of 0 yuan for round-trip tickets to Europe.