Douro Azul elected Leading river cruise company (yet again!)

Douro Azul was elected as Europe’s leading river cruise company by the World Travel Awards – for the fifth time in a row. The Portuguese company reinforces its position as leader of the river cruising segment at an international level. With a fleet of 12 operating cruises, Douro Azul has registered more than 30,000 passengers per year, which corresponds to a volume of more than 200,000 overnight stays.

Mário Ferreira, Mystic Invest Holding’s CEO, Douro Azul’s mother company, stresses the “international acknowledgement of the work it has been developing over the last 26 years serving Douro and Portugal.”

The Businessman also highlights the important role his team played in this achievement, underlining that “these distinctions could only be possible with the arduous work of hundreds of people who provide a top-quality service on a daily basis to our clients”.

The award was handled to Mystic Invest, which is currently betting on an ambitious internationalisation strategy by launching Mystics Cruises, an ocean cruises company offering destinations such as Antarctica, the Arctic and Norwegian Fjords.

“Mystic Invest is now the third biggest river cruise operator in the world. Together, Douro Azul and Nicko Cruises transport about 100,000 passengers to more than 15 destinations, from Porto to Shanghai. It’s a market that we are familiar with” Mário Ferreira said, adding that his cruise ship, World Explorer (the first ever built in Portugal), will bring new opportunities to the company.

Recalling the company’s move in the US by opening a country branch, Mystic has equally announced five new ocean cruises and the expansion of Douro’s fleet over the next years. Recently, the company has also announced the entry of Certares, a US investment fund specialised in tourism and hospitality, in its capital.