Near-record low water levels on the Danube River have disrupted tourism this week, leaving cruise vessels stranded north of Budapest, suspending sightseeing trips and dealing a blow to the economically important sector.
Data from Hungary's Water Authority showed the Danube's water level in Budapest fell on Thursday morning to within 8 centimeters (3.15 inches) of the record low set eight years ago, although levels are expected to rise next week.
Hungarian sightseeing operator MAHART-PassNave said the decline was part of a longer-term trend and that, despite efforts by shipping companies and ports to adapt, water levels were increasingly falling below operational limits.
"River cruise vessels are currently still able to enter Hungary, but several ships are stranded or waiting in ports because of the low water levels," MAHART-PassNave Chief Executive Laszlo Somodi said late Wednesday.
Somodi said international river cruises had become by far the most economically important segment of Hungary's shipping industry as tourism expanded, carrying about 600,000 passengers annually and generating wider economic benefits.
He said the northern ports of Gonyu and Komarom were handling the highest traffic volumes, while several cruise liners remained idle in Budapest and the southern town of Mohacs, unable to continue their journeys because of exceptionally low water levels.
MAHART-PassNave has seen an 18% drop in bookings so far in July due to cancellations, with sightseeing tours to cities north of Budapest suspended this week. Services could resume next week if water levels rise as expected.
River cruise operator Avalon Waterways said earlier this week it had been forced to cancel what it described as a small number of upcoming departures because of low water levels on the Danube and Rhine rivers.
