Greek ports are expected to attract more cruise tourists following a rise of about 16% both in cruise liner calls and passenger arrivals in 2019, reports Bloomberg.
Cruise season in Greece
Based on pre-bookings for 2020, this year’s cruise season in Greece is seen beating the 2019 performance that already beat forecasts, the Hellenic Ports Association said.
Last year, the number of cruise passengers traveling from Greek ports increased by 15.64% to more than 5.53 million, and that of cruise ship arrivals increased by 14.34% to 3,899.
Piraeus, Greece’s biggest port, remains the top destination for cruises in Greece for the 10th year in a row, with 622 cruise liners visiting it or leaving it last year, compared to 524 in the previous year.
Satisfactory growth
The Piraeus Port Authority, a subsidiary of China’s COSCO SHIPPING Group, anticipates a further increase in 2020, according to Deputy Manager for Public and Investor Relations Nektarios Demenopoulos.
After a “very satisfactory growth” in 2019, figures are projected to grow higher in the next years, he said.
Cruise ships towards Greece will carry more tourists in the future, Demenopoulos added. “In 2020 and 2021, we expect several vessels with a capacity of 5,000-7,000 passengers each, compared to cruise liners of 2,000-3,000 in the past.”
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Source: Bloomberg
