It's been a decade since Tauck offered one European river cruise that included the Floriade International Horticultural Expo in the Netherlands. For the 2022 iteration of this once-a-decade festival, Tauck says it's planning to meet the strong demand with four different river cruises that include the opportunity to attend the Floriade.
Tauck's river cruises that feature a visit to the Floriade expo include two 15-day itineraries, “Amsterdam to Budapest by Riverboat” and “The Rhine and Moselle,” along with two eight-day trips, “Belgium & Holland in Spring” and the new-for-2021 itinerary “Cruising the Dutch Waterways.”
To give an indication of just how popular Floriade has been, Tauck CEO Dan Mahar in a press announcement noted that the 2012 edition of Floriade drew more than 2 million visitors, four times the attendance of the 2010 performances of the Oberammergau Passion Play, another popular, once-every-decade cultural event featured on Tauck river cruises.
Next year’s Floriade, explained Mahar, will be far more than a simple flower show. The expo’s theme is “Growing Green Cities,” and it will showcase elements ranging from green architecture and environmentally friendly food production to renewable energy and healthy living. The expo will unfold on 148 acres of land in the city of Almere that were raised and reclaimed from the sea. Following Floriade's conclusion late next year, its various buildings and facilities will collectively function as a new, environmentally friendly urban center.
The Floriade expo will have more than enough to satisfy those with strong horticultural interests as it will feature landscapes, gardens and greenhouses highlighting a vast collection of flowers, trees, shrubs, plants and crops from more than 40 countries. The festival will also have live entertainment, themed cultural programs and exhibits, international pavilions, restaurants, food trucks and specialty tastings, and a diverse campus connected by gondolas, trains, bridges and walkways.
Early Admission
Tauck's guests will enjoy a full day at Floriade, highlighted by early-access admission one hour before the expo opens to the general public, as well as a 90-minute, small-group guided tour of key attractions hosted by a Floriade expert. Each guest will also receive a Tauck-issued, 25-euro Floriade credit card allowing them to enjoy lunch in their choice of dining venues, or to purchase mementos of their visit if they prefer.
Tauck has also secured docking privileges in nearby Huizen, a short 10-minute drive from the Floriade grounds. For guests’ convenience and flexibility, private round-trip shuttles will be provided between the riverboat and the expo campus.
The visit to Floriade, as well as the expo admission, shuttle transportation and Floriade credit card, is included in Tauck’s cruise fares, as are all other shore excursions, gratuities, onboard wine and spirits, airport transfers, luggage handling and more.
Information on Tauck’s four 2022 river cruises featuring Floriade has recently been posted on the company’s website, and can also be downloaded in an eight-page e-brochure. As Tauck begins to ramp up its promotional efforts for Floriade, Mahar urged potential cruisers to make their plans quickly.
With the Oberammergau Passion Play, Tauck was 90 percent sold out before the company began to actively promote it. Maher said he expects the same kind of response regarding the Floriade sailings.
Visit www.tauck.com.
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