The event targets the Lower Danube Region’s port administrations, port operators and service providers, tourist organizations, tour operators, local authorities.

The Regional Workshop was dedicated to the development of RCI in the Lower Danube Region and was organized by the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Ruse, Bulgaria on 17th November 2022. In order to ensure maximum involvement of stakeholders from the River Cruise Industry, the waterway and port administrations the workshop was organised to feed into the analysis work and will support the consortium in the conceptual work for an overall strategy on a Danube Region level. The workshop for Lower Danube aimed to provide a platform for a structured dialogue with the stakeholders and sharing good practices from other European regions with significant river cruise activities and thus fostering the interregional exchange of experiences.

The event gathered 25 participants who represent important for the DIONYSUS project organisations (public institutions, universities, local NGOs, port authorities, private companies, tour operators, tourist organizations, a Chamber of Commerce and a Euroregion, port operators, shipping companies, etc.) providing useful information based on their various areas of expertise. 

All representatives of the invited stakeholders agreed that the Regional Workshops will help the participating countries to find solutions for better understanding of the potential for development of cruise industry. Apart from the problems that were pointed out related to climate changes, fairway maintenance, administrative barriers, wastewater treatment or not sufficient usage of renewable energy sources at the passenger terminals, the participants agreed that there is still underdeveloped potential, and common efforts of the stakeholders are crucial for the positive image of the Lower Danube Cruises. They recommended that the Ministries of the Transport of Bulgaria and Romania should make together the next steps towards IWT development. The representatives of the cruise operators and the tourist companies stressed on the importance of common activities for the Danube fairway maintenance of the River Supervision administrations of both countries.