印度河流游轮业正迎来快速扩张。2024-25季度，河流游轮旅程增长近20%，达到443条[1]。作为这一增长的推动力，印度政府计划在未来几年内将河流游轮乘客数增至150万人，并通过疏浚航道、建设码头设施和推广河畔遗址等举措，开放20000公里的可航行水域[1]。
目前，超过50条河流游轮路线正在47条水道上进行可行性研究[1]。其中，恒河、布拉马普特拉河和喀拉拉州的阿拉普扎水道等主要水道已成为国际游客的热门目的地[1]。布拉马普特拉河上的游轮船只数量尤为引人注目，从十年前的3艘增至25艘[1]。国际游轮公司也看好这一市场，维京游轮计划于2027年末在印度启动游轮业务，推出客位数为80人的Viking Brahmaputra号[1]。此前，MV Ganga Vilas于2023年完成了3200公里的世界最长河流游轮旅程[1]。
India's river cruising sector is experiencing rapid expansion, with the number of river cruise journeys growing by nearly 20% to 443 routes in the 2024-25 season [1]. The Indian government has set an ambitious target to increase river cruise passengers to 1.5 million in coming years, capitalizing on the country's 20,000 kilometers of navigable waterways [1]. To support this growth, authorities are investing in dredging navigation channels, constructing port facilities, and promoting riverside heritage sites [1].
More than 50 routes are currently undergoing feasibility studies across 47 waterways, with major attractions including the Ganges River, the Brahmaputra River, and the Alleppey backwaters in Kerala drawing international tourists [1]. The Brahmaputra has seen particularly strong development, with cruise vessels increasing from 3 a decade ago to 25 vessels today [1]. The sector is also attracting major international operators, with Viking River Cruises set to launch operations in India by late 2027, introducing the 80-passenger Viking Brahmaputra vessel [1]. This momentum was underscored by the completion of the MV Ganga Vilas's record-breaking 3,200-kilometer cruise journey in 2023, which was the world's longest river cruise itinerary [1].