The first cruise ship of the year moored in the port of Vidin on Monday. Nearly 150 American and Japanese tourists travelling aboard the Viking Lif visited the Belogradchik Rocks near the town of Belogradchik and the Baba Vida Medieval Fortress of Vidin. According to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), the local port administration said 294 cruise ships with more than 36,000 foreign tourists are expected to pay port calls to Vidin this year. The season usually starts on March 20 and lasts until the end of November. It will last longer this year, with the last cruise ship on the Danube scheduled for December 27. The first cruise ship of the year is serviced by Bulgaria's Balkantours tour agent and operator. The other Bulgarian tour operator and travel agent, Danube Tours Hotels, services fewer cruise ships, Belogradchik Deputy Mayor Rosen Mladenov told BTA. Forty to 45 cruise ships pay port calls every month between May and September. Up to five cruise ships can be seen berthing at Vidin on some days. Since 2010, the trips on the Danube have attracted many foreign tourists, especially from the US and Asia, said Mladenov. In 2022, more than 324 cruise ships with nearly 40,000 foreign tourists called at Vidin. The Belogradchik Rocks and the Baba Vida Fortress were visited by more than 20,000 of them. Most Danube River cruise ships sail under Swiss, German or Canadian flags. Most tourists come from the US, Japan and Europe. There is also a significant share of visitors from Canada, New Zealand and Australia, according to tourism industry data.
