BONUSHOOFDSTUK: DAGTOCHTSCHEPEN (EN) - CCNR

DAY TRIP VESSELS IN FRANCE

The sector of day trip vessels in France has shown a rising trend when it comes to the capacities (vessels and passenger places) until 2019. The impact of the Covid pandemic was very strong, and in the year 2025, the number of vessels and passenger places was still far below the value of 2019.
In total, the number of day trip vessels was 329 in 2025, with 38.0 thousand passenger places.

FIGURE 1: NUMBER OF DAY TRIP VESSELS IN FRANCE (TOP) AND CAPACITY (NUMBER OF PASSENGER PLACES) (BOTTOM)

Source: Voies Navigables de France (VNF)
Data unavailable for the years 2020, 2021, 2022

The number of vessels in the region Ile-de-France (encompassing Paris) was 173 in 2025, which was higher than the number of vessels in all other French regions. Regions in France outside the Ile-de-France region with a rather high number of day trip vessels are the region Occitanie in southwestern France (with the Canal du Midi), and the region Grand Est (with Strasbourg).
The number of passengers has not changed dramatically since 2014 and has recovered better from the pandemic than the capacities. The year 2024 was an exception, as the Olympic Games have, in the short-term, acted as a hindrance for river tourism in Paris and elsewhere. In July and August 2024, there were closures of the Seine to commercial traffic. Besides, many classic tourists avoided Paris during the Games due to high prices and crowds. In the long-run, however, the promotion of the Seine during the Opening Ceremony will certainly have positive effects on future river tourism in Paris.

FIGURE 2: NUMBER OF TRANSPORTED PASSENGERS IN FRANCE (TOP) AND SHARE OF FOREIGN PASSENGERS (BOTTOM)

Source: VNF

In total, the number of passengers on French day trip vessels was 10.5 million in 2025.
The share of foreign tourists is very high in France. While it was already high in 2014 in the Ile-de-France region (with Paris as the core city), it has since then also increased constantly in other regions. By 2025, 45% of all passengers on French day trip vessels came from foreign countries. This shows the strong effect that this sector has on tourism.

DAY TRIP VESSELS IN GERMANY

In Germany, there were 1,093 day trip vessels registered in the year 2024. The largest part of these vessels is active on rivers and canals (808). Next to this group, there are 124 day trip vessels on lakes and 161 small harbour boats (Personenbarkassen), which are typical for port cities such as Hamburg.

FIGURE 3: NUMBER OF DAY TRIP VESSELS IN GERMANY (TOP) AND CAPACITY (NUMBER OF PASSENGER PLACES) (BOTTOM)

Source: German Waterway and Shipping Administration (WSV)

Since 2010, the number of day trip vessels on rivers and canals has been increasing slightly over time. The number of day trip vessels on lakes has remained almost constant. But the number of small harbour boats is declining. This fleet category has lost 27% of its vessel numbers since 2010 and almost 70% since 1970. This is primarily due to stricter safety regulations and the trend towards larger, more modern passenger vessels that offer greater comfort. The number of river and canal vessels has increased by +27% since 1970.
The total capacity in terms of passenger places amounted to 216,710 places in 2024, of which day trip vessels on rivers and canals represented 82%. Lake vessels accounted for 14% and small harbour boats for 4%. The entire capacity has followed a slightly decreasing trend since 2010 (-4%).
The highest capacities of day trip vessels by region in Germany are observed in the Elbe region, where the port city of Hamburg is located. Within the entire Elbe region, 22,945 passenger places were registered in the city of Hamburg in 2025 (around half of all Elbe capacities). In Hamburg, a lot of water tourism is present, especially in the port area and on the city lakes (Binnenalster, Außenalster).
The Rhine follows on the second rank, and the federal state of Berlin on rank three. It is observed that the two largest German cities, Hamburg and Berlin, account for a high share of day trip vessel capacities in Germany, which is a similar feature as in France with Paris as a focal point.

FIGURE 4: CAPACITIES OF DAY TRIP VESSELS IN GERMANY ACCORDING TO REGION OF REGISTRATION (IN PASSENGER PLACES)

Source: WSV

For the Elbe region, there is an upward trend in the day trip vessel capacities since 2018. This upward trend is also present for Hamburg, the most important city in Germany for day trip vessel activity next to Berlin. The capacities in terms of passenger places grew by 12.9% between 2018 and 2025 in the Hanseatic city, from 20,318 places to 22,947 places. In Berlin, the capital, the day trip vessel capacities were almost constant between 2018 and 2025. The number of vessels there is almost the same as in Hamburg, with 22,051 day trip vessels in 2025.
When it comes to the age structure of this fleet, peaks in the construction years can be observed for the decades of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. These four decades account for 53 % of all building years of the day trip vessels on rivers and canals. And 20% of the day trip vessels on rivers and canals have been built since the year 2000.

FIGURE 5: AGE STRUCTURE OF GERMAN DAY TRIP VESSELS ON RIVERS AND CANALS – YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION PER DECADE (IN %)

Source: CCNR analysis based on WSV

The detailed data about the capacity categories show that day trip vessels on rivers and canals often have a capacity between 76 and 250 passenger places (59% of all vessels). Small harbour boats are the smallest category, with 67.5% of them falling in the category of 0-75 passenger places. Lake vessels seem to occupy very large size categories (more than 600 passenger places). Around 12% of all lake vessels have this large size, compared to only 2% of the river and canal vessels.

DAY TRIP VESSELS IN HUNGARY

According to the Hungarian Statistical Office, 1.34 million passengers were transported on day trip vessels on the Hungarian Danube in 2025. The overall evolution since 2012 shows an increasing trend and a clear recovery from the Covid pandemics.
The second important waterway in Hungary is the Lake Balaton, which counted 0.90 million passengers on day trip vessels in 2025. The trend is less dynamic though, compared to the Danube.

FIGURE 6: YEARLY DAY-TRIP PASSENGER DEMAND ON THE HUNGARIAN DANUBE

Source: Hungarian Central Statistical Office

The number of day trip vessels in Hungary follows an increasing trend as well. In 2025, 136 day trip vessels existed in the country.

FIGURE 7: NUMBER OF DAY-TRIP VESSEL PER YEAR ON THE HUNGARIAN DANUBE

Source: Hungarian Central Statistical Office

DAY TRIP VESSELS IN AUSTRIA

Regarding the day-trip activity on the Austrian Danube, only passenger demand figures are available, and can serve as a good example of the broader trends, explained above, particularly regarding the split between scheduled and private services.
– Liner (Scheduled) Services: These remain the primary volume driver, anchored by the Wachau region (Melk to Krems) and the strategic Vienna-Bratislava corridor. While 2023 saw a slight dip in passengers, attributed to inflation and unpredictable summer weather, the base remains significantly higher than the 2020-2021 lows.
– Non-Scheduled (Charter) Services: This segment has proven to be stable, under the impulse by domestic demand for corporate events, weddings, and private functions.

FIGURE 8: YEARLY DAY-TRIP PASSENGERS DEMAND ON THE AUSTRIAN DANUBE*

Source: viadonau annual reports on Danube navigation
* Due to the fact that passenger transport on the Danube ceased to be statistically compiled in Austria in 2003 (because of a change in legal basis), the above figures include additional estimates in passenger numbers on liner services and non-scheduled traffic, based on an assumed yearly average capacity utilisation on passenger vessels.

DAY TRIP VESSELS IN ITALY

Passenger transport plays a vital role in Italy’s local public infrastructure and tourism sector, particularly across the country’s major lakes and the Venetian Lagoon. The Venetian Lagoon dominates this sector, accounting for approximately 88% of all day-trip activity. This is followed by the major lakes, primarily Como, Garda, and Maggiore, representing around 12%. Day-trip activity within the Po River system (Po and surrounding canals) remains of marginal importance, accounting for less than 0.1% of the national total.
As illustrated in figure 1, the total number of passengers on Italian inland waterways saw a significant upward trend, rising from 99.4 million in 2002 to a peak of 158.5 million in 2019. However, in 2020, Covid-19 containment measures caused a 44% drop, bringing the total down to 88.8 million. Between 2021 and 2023, the figures recovered to reach 103.3 million passengers. While this indicates a steady upward trajectory, volumes remain well below pre-pandemic levels.

FIGURE 9: NUMBER OF PASSENGERS TRANSPORTED ON MAIN INLAND WATERWAYS IN ITALY – VENETIAN LAGOON, ITALIAN LAKES (SCHEDULED SERVICES), RIVER PO AND CANALS (IN MILLION PASSENGERS)*

Source: Italian Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility (Conto Nazionale delle Infrastrutture e del Trasporto)
* Data on passenger transport on the river Po and its canals are available from 2010 onwards. The total number of passengers in the year 2021 is an estimation. Detailed data for the three categories were not available.

FIGURE 10: NUMBER OF PASSENGERS ON LAKE VESSELS FOLLOWING A SCHEDULED SERVICE IN ITALY (IN MILLION PASSENGERS)

Source: Italian Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility (Conto Nazionale delle Infrastrutture e del Trasporto)
* Other Italian lakes: Lago d’Orta, Lago di Ceresio/Lugano, Lago di Bolsena, Lago di Idro, Lago di Viverone, Lago Trasimeno

The number of vessels providing regular liner traffic has followed a slightly decreasing trend overall. This includes vessels operating on the major lakes and within the Venetian Lagoon. Fleet data for the River Po and its canals remains unavailable.

FIGURE 11: NUMBER OF VESSELS FOLLOWING A SCHEDULED SERVICE IN ITALY BY REGION (2014-2023)

Source: Italian Ministry of Transport (Conto Nazionale delle Infrastrutture et Trasporto)

DAY TRIP VESSELS IN POLAND

In Poland, the inland waterway passenger fleet comprised 109 vessels in both 2023 and 2024, with a total capacity of 10,487 and 9,871 passenger seats respectively. These vessels collectively transport approximately 1.1 million passengers per year. Virtually all passenger vessels in Poland are engaged in day trip operations. The numbers reported in this chapter can therefore be considered equivalent to the total number of day trip vessels. The 223 companies registered as inland waterway passenger transport operators in Poland as of 2026 represent an almost exclusively day trip market.

TABLE 1: INLAND WATERWAYS TRANSPORT OF PASSENGERS IN POLAND

Specification	2022	2023	2024
Number of passenger vessels	116	109	109
Number of passenger seats	11,017	10,487	9,871
Number of passengers (thousands)	1,100.9	1,128.0	1,096.9
Passenger-kilometres (thousands)	13,548.7	12,269.4	11,830.7
Average distance per passenger (km)	12.3	10.9	11.0

Source: Statistics Poland

The number of passenger vessels decreased slightly between 2022 and 2023, from 116 to 109, and remained stable into 2024. Total passenger seat capacity followed a similar declining path, falling from 11,017 in 2022 to 9,871 in 2024, a reduction of around 10% over two years. Passenger numbers stayed mostly stable over this period. On average, passengers travelled short distances of around 11-12 kilometres, reflecting the market’s focus on short leisure excursions and sightseeing trips.

Age structure of the passenger fleet

The Polish passenger fleet shows a different age profile from the freight fleet. While the cargo barges are heavily concentrated in vessels built before 1980, the passenger fleet has a more distributed age structure, with a share of relatively recent vessels. As of 2023, the construction decade with the largest representation is the 1950s and 1960s combined (42.2% of the fleet), but 21.1% of the fleet has been built since 2000, indicating ongoing fleet renewal. Figures for 2024 confirm that 61.4% of passenger vessels are 46 years old or more, while 22% are under 25 years old.

TABLE 2: AGE STRUCTURE OF POLISH DAY TRIP VESSELS – YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION PER DECADE (AS OF 31 DECEMBER 2023)

Construction period	Vessels (2023)	Share (%)
Up to 1949	11	10.1%
1950–1969	46	42.2%
1970–1979	12	11.0%
1980–1989	8	7.3%
1990–1999	9	8.3%
2000–2009	11	10.1%
2010 and later	12	11.0%
Total	109	100%

Source: Statistics Poland

An important note applies to the passenger figures above. Statistics Poland covers vessels with a capacity of 12 or more passenger seats, in line with standard EU statistical methodology. Commercial day trip craft operating with fewer than 12 passengers are excluded. Industry representatives suggest these smaller operators carry at least an additional 500,000 passengers each year, which would increase the total annual day trip passenger volume to at least 1.5 million.

DAY TRIP VESSELS IN SWITZERLAND

In Switzerland, the majority of day trip vessels are active on the numerous lakes in the country. The Statistical Office collects data for this entire sector, and the companies that are the basis for the statistical figures are almost entirely active on Swiss lakes. Exceptions are very few companies that offer day trips on the Swiss Rhine. According to the Association of Swiss Navigation Companies (VSSU), 15 main companies operate day-trip passenger services in Switzerland.¹ The biggest companies operate in Lake Lucerne (SGV, 19 vessels), Lake Geneva (19 vessels), Lake Zurich (ZSG, 17 vessels) and Lakes Lugano and Maggiore (15 vessels).
The total number of day trip vessels has declined slightly since the year 1990, start of the data collection. The total number of day trip vessels in Switzerland offering transport services for the public amounted to 140 in 2024 (without private vessels).

FIGURE 12: NUMBER OF REGISTERED DAY TRIP VESSELS IN SWITZERLAND (WITHOUT CAR FERRIES)

Source: Federal Swiss Office of Statistics

The number of 140 vessels contains 124 motor vessels and 16 steam vessels. These last-mentioned vessels are active as historical vessels on certain lakes, for example on Lake Geneva. While the number of motor vessels has decreased slightly since 1990, the number of historical steam vessels has even increased, although its absolute number is much smaller.
In order to measure the activity in this sector, data about vessel-km can be observed, as there is no data about the number of passengers. The vessel-km data indicate an increasing trend during the economic boom until the year 2008. In this year the series reached its peak since the year 2000 with 2.38 million vessel-km. Then the development stagnated until the Covid pandemic, when a reduction of 28% took place within one year. Although a recovery followed, the series did not reach its pre-pandemic level again, until the year 2024. Overall, the activity seems to be partly dependent upon the overall macroeconomic trend, but not to the same intense degree as goods transport.

FIGURE 13: ACTIVITY OF DAY TRIP VESSELS IN SWITZERLAND (NUMBER OF VESSEL-KM IN 1,000 PER YEAR)*

Source: Federal Swiss Office of Statistics
* Without car ferries

Passenger demand for Swiss day-trip navigation remained broadly stable between 2010 and 2019, fluctuating around 12–13 million passengers per year. The Covid 19 pandemic led to a sharp drop in 2020–2021, followed by a rapid recovery from 2022 onwards. By 2023, passenger numbers had exceeded pre-pandemic levels, and remained high in 2024, highlighting the strong resilience and continued attractiveness of the sector.

FIGURE 14: DEMAND FOR DAY TRIPS IN SWITZERLAND (NUMBER OF PASSENGERS, IN MILLION PER YEAR)

Source: Association of Swiss Navigation Companies (VSSU)
* Limited operations due to the Covid-19 pandemic

According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, the number of full-time equivalent persons working in the public day trip business amounted to around 800 in 2020. Within this number, 705 full-time equivalent people were working on passenger vessels and 91 on car ferries. The number of companies amounted to 24 for passenger vessels and to 4 for the car ferries.
The financial yield or turnover from the activity shows a steep upward trend since the year 2000. Compared to the year 2000, the turnover in 2024 was more than twice as high (factor 2.1). And compared to the pre-covid year of 2019, the turnover was 14% higher in 2024. In 2020, the turnover had fallen by 43% within one single year and therefore much stronger than the number of vessel-km. It seems to be paradox that the turnover follows a growing long-term trend, although the number of vessels is declining in the long run. It can be explained by a growing economic productivity of the Swiss day trip vessels.
Beyond productivity effects, the increase in turnover also reflects a structural transformation of the sector. Over recent decades, Swiss passenger shipping companies have evolved from primarily transport providers into integrated tourism, leisure and hospitality operators. This shift is reflected in diversified services such as themed cruises, gastronomy offers and event hosting, with vessels increasingly forming part of the overall tourism experience. As a result, operators generate higher added value- per vessel and passenger, supporting turnover growth despite stable or declining fleet sizes.
At the same time, sustained investment efforts have played an important role. Companies have invested in fleet modernisation, heritage vessel preservation and cleaner propulsion technologies, including battery-electric and hydrogen solutions. These investments enhance service quality, improve efficiency and strengthen the attractiveness of lake navigation, contributing to the sector’s long-term competitiveness and productivity gains.

DAY TRIP VESSELS IN THE NETHERLANDS

In the Netherlands, day trip vessels represent an integral part of tourism, especially in Amsterdam with its small canals (Grachten), an UNESCO world heritage site since 2010. According to the City of Amsterdam,² 165 of these canals exist in the city, with a total length of 75 km. The oldest Gracht is from 1385. There are 14 locks in the network and 1.282 bridges, and the number of day trip vessels in Amsterdam, locally known as rondvaartboten, is approximately 110, according to the city’s information.
The tourism market supporting day trip vessel demand is strong and getting stronger. The city of Amsterdam receives approximately 5.34 million tourists annually, of which around 4.36 million are foreign visitors. The steady growth in visitor numbers translates into rising demand for excursions on day trips.
Day trip vessels (canal cruise boats) are a major attraction, and they handle a massive volume of tourists, transporting over 3 million passengers per year.³
Regarding the size of the fleet of day trip vessels, the IVR database is pointing to a number of 529 day trip vessels in the entire country, of which 192 are certified sailing historic passenger vessels for the transport of more than 12 people (so called “Bruine vloot” – Brown fleet).⁴ But data from the city of Amsterdam alone are already higher, as they encompass all permitted vessels, beyond those that fall under the scope of the directive laying down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels.⁵
In Amsterdam, as of 2024, there are 556 permitted passenger vessels in operation, managed by 100 different shipowners. The market also includes 180 unmanned rental boats spread across 15 different locations.⁶ To support this fleet, the municipality provides 371 designated mooring places (ligplaatsen) for passenger vessels, and there are approximately 120 hop-on/hop-off locations throughout the city.⁷
Passenger vessel activity on Amsterdam’s canals is currently higher than ever. According to the City of Amsterdam, during the 2023-2024 season, passenger vessel activity (measured in active daily boat hours) increased by 27% compared to the previous season and now is 23% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2018-2019.
One of the indicators of market activity is the number of new day trip vessels built or delivered over time. The chart below shows the total annual deliveries registered in the Netherlands from 2010 to 2023.

FIGURE 15: TOTAL NEW DAY TRIP VESSEL DELIVERIES IN THE NETHERLANDS, 2010-2023

Source: IVR Database

The data shows that vessel construction activity has remained modest but resilient over the past decade. Following a period of low activity in 2012-2013, deliveries recovered in 2014-2016, before slowing again during the pandemic years. The notable peak in 2022 suggests that operators seized the post-Covid recovery period to invest in new or converted vessels. Overall, however, new-build activity remains modest. The age structure of the Dutch day trip fleet shows that only a small proportion of vessels were built after 2009. This reflects a broader European trend where operators tend to prefer the conversion or renovation of existing vessels rather than new builds, partly due to the complexity of new European technical requirements and uncertainty around future propulsion technologies.
Perhaps the most transformative force reshaping the Dutch day trip vessel market right now is the push towards zero-emission operations. Amsterdam has led the way, requiring all commercial passenger vessels operating on its inner canals to be emissions-free, a rule that took full effect from April 2025.⁸
Looking ahead, the outlook for the Dutch day-trip vessel market remains positive. Growing international and domestic tourists support future demand growth. On the other hand, operators face several challenges: operating costs rose in 2025, driven by higher capital, labour, and maintenance expenses, although some stabilisation is expected in 2026 if fuel prices continue to ease. Furthermore, because day trip vessels operate over short distances, their operating costs are particularly vulnerable to rising labour expenses caused by personnel shortages in the inland navigation sector.⁹