Regional instability, a shortage of ports prepared to receive cruise ships, and a lack of buses and guides at destinations during peak season, as well as aging infrastructure unable to absorb the growth in cruise passengers, are the key challenges hindering the growth of the cruise sector in the Eastern Mediterranean, according to representatives of three of the world's largest cruise lines, who spoke at the 5th edition of the Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum in Athens.
And with a 7% growth in cruise passengers projected for Greece this year, according to Greek Tourism Minister Thanasis Theocharopoulos, speaking at the opening of the conference, the challenges will be greater in the short term until the infrastructure improvements currently underway are completed. "Our goal is to make our ports more attractive to cruise operators from an infrastructure standpoint so that Greece can capitalize on the vast potential of cruises and increase their contribution to the country's economic growth," he said.
Despite existing challenges, Disney Cruise Lines is returning to Greece this summer with 9- and 12-night itineraries connecting Aegean ports with Venice and the Adriatic, and MSC Cruises is adding a fifth ship in the Eastern Mediterranean, increasing its available capacity by 26.4%. MSC Cruises will deploy another ship in 2020 to increase capacity by 25%.
But the growing number of passengers will put more pressure on existing infrastructure at traditional ports of call, as the additional capacity cannot be dispersed to smaller, but equally attractive, destinations that are not yet ready for cruises.
“Disney Cruises ships can only come close to six Greek ports, and that’s a shame,” said Paul Britton, Manager of Marine Operations, Ports, and Itinerary Planning for Disney Cruise Line, which is returning to Greece this year with port calls in Piraeus, Santorini, Mykonos, and Katakolon. “There are certain components to an enjoyable cruise experience that begin with great homeport capacity and air transportation. Then you need to be able to offer a selection of several strong featured ports, a coherent itinerary, well-balanced days at sea, and a great final port or experience. Greece offers all of this, but what’s missing is the ‘hidden gems’ ingredient, despite having 100 inhabited islands and an archipelago of nearly 6,000 smaller islands and islets,” Britton said.
Alexandros Fan, Corporate Shore Excursions Product and Purchasing Manager at MSC Cruises, said the growing demand for shore excursions is a significant issue that needs to be addressed. “Finding an adequate number of buses and guides during peak times is a major challenge , and all stakeholders need to work together to find solutions to develop a more sustainable cruise offering,” he said. “We need to have suitable facilities and infrastructure to serve and cater to our large ships,” he added.
According to Elena Vlad, Director of Shore Excursions, Product Development and Operations at Holland America Group, the most attractive destinations for cruise lines are those that offer commercial benefits and efficient operations at competitive costs.
The Greek government is aware of the challenges and needs of cruise companies and is working to resolve these issues to alleviate the concerns of stakeholders.
According to Minister Theocharopoulos: “Developing the cruise sector and establishing Greece as a leading destination are strategic priorities for us. The ongoing promotion of Piraeus and Heraklion as homeports, increasing the number of homeports in the country, and improving our infrastructure and facilities are some of the initiatives we have undertaken to enhance our product and pave the way for investment.”.
The launch of international flights connecting Athens to growing key destinations such as China, Canada and the USA, and the improvement of facilities at regional airports will play a significant role in the growth of the cruise market.
“We are facing these challenges. The problems are not insurmountable, but they require flexibility, new ideas, close collaboration, and coordination between government, associations, and the private sector,” Theocharopoulos added.
The 5th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum is organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Island Policy and is supported by the Hellenic Chamber of Navigation, CLIA Europe, MedCruise, the Hellenic Professional Yacht Owners Association, the Greek Marinas Association, the Association of Passenger Shipping Companies, the Union of Cruise Ship Owners & Associated Members, and the Federation of Hellenic Associations of Tourist and Travel Agencies (fedHATTA). The gold sponsor is the Greek National Tourism Organization. Silver sponsors are the Piraeus Port Authority, HEMEXPO, and the Thessaloniki Port Authority; bronze sponsors are Air France-KLM, Aktina Travel Group, Celestyal Cruises, Global Ports Holding, and Intercruises Shoreside and Port Services; and collaborators are Athens International Airport and FBIS Security.
