First Cruiser in Kostolac

The cruiser Viva Two, carrying 170 passengers from Norway, Sweden, and Germany, docked at the international passenger terminal in Kostolac on Tuesday. The ship was welcomed by representatives of the Port Governance Agency, the city of Požarevac, the First Steamboat Company, and the Viminacium Archaeological Park.

Ksenija Hajduković from the Port Governance Agency stated that this was the first port call at the Kostolac terminal in ten years. She highlighted that the current results of the nautical season indicate a growth trend. "By September 1st, we recorded 988 port calls and 139,495 passengers. The number of passengers is 13% higher than in the same period last year, and we expect to welcome 200,000 tourists at Serbian ports by the end of the season," she said.

According to her, the Agency and the Government of Serbia are actively working on opening new international passenger terminals and building marinas as part of the Sail Through Serbia project, aimed at further promoting and highlighting Serbia's numerous nautical potentials. "Through this project, we will complete the nautical infrastructure of our country. In addition, the project will contribute to increasing revenues from this sector and attracting more tourists to the rivers. We aim to strengthen Serbia's position on the nautical maps of Europe and the world, making it an essential destination for cruising. Kostolac is a significant location on the Danube for cruises, offering visitors the opportunity to explore the rich Roman heritage in this area," she emphasized.

She also added that Serbia’s direct and indirect revenues from cruising amount to ten million euros annually, and as the number of river tourists increases, revenues from river cruises are expected to grow in future nautical seasons.

Požarevac Mayor Saša Pavlović noted that the arrival of the cruiser is of great significance for the tourism of the entire Braničevo district. "We are grateful to the Government of Serbia and the Agency for their support during the realization of the international passenger terminal project, which today welcomed its first ship. For us, this is an opportunity to showcase our region to tourists from around the world by river, not just by land as has been the case so far," said Pavlović.

Following the welcome, a visit to the Viminacium Archaeological Park was organized for the tourists, including a tour of the site and a traditional Roman feast.