As the international cruise industry prepares for the highly anticipated Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) predicts the sector will attract up to 33 million passengers in 2023, significantly surpassing the 29.7 million recorded in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.
According to recently published CLIA data, Greece, a leader in European cruises, is poised to reap a significant boost in the industry's economic impact, with Piraeus, the country's main seaport, expected to surpass one million passengers in 2023. In 2021, Greece achieved an unprecedented economic impact of €1.1 billion from cruise activities, compared to €957 million in 2019.
The sector supported 315,000 jobs in Europe, with 15,100 of those jobs in Greece. Greece led the world with a swift and safe resumption of cruises during the pandemic and saw a significant increase in homeport traffic, prompting cruise lines to purchase supplies and services from port providers. Passengers also spent longer periods in port cities and stayed in local hotels, contributing to the increased economic impact due to ships spending more time in port for maintenance.
Theodore Vokos, Managing Director of Posidonia Exhibitions SA, said the Forum, taking place outside Athens, is an exciting development that will potentially further enhance the cruise industry in Greece: “The Posidonia Marine Tourism Forum provides a unique opportunity for industry leaders to meet in the country’s second-largest city and explore the potential of new destinations. With new cruise terminals to be built in Souda-Chania after 2024, the planned expansion of the Piraeus cruise terminal, and the growing potential of Thessaloniki as an additional cruise hub, the industry’s growth is set to continue in Greece in the years to come.”.
The value of cruise tourism cannot be underestimated, as every 24 cruise passengers represent the equivalent of one full-time job, and each passenger spends an average of €660 in port cities during a typical seven-day cruise. Furthermore, 60% of cruise takers have since returned to a destination they first visited on a cruise, making each cruise essentially a self-funded familiarization trip. The CLIA Global Market Report 2020 shows that 85% of millennials plan to travel again, followed by Generation X (82%), Generation Z (79%), baby boomers (77%), and traditionalists (73%).
The Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum will be held in Thessaloniki, Greece, on April 25 and 26, 2023, and will focus on “The Return to Growth: Future Challenges for Cruise Lines and Destinations.” It promises to be a center for debate on the future of the cruise industry and its continued positive impact on the economy.
A study on spending patterns will be presented during the Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum
PSTF 2023 will also be the platform for the first presentation of a socio-economic impact study produced by the Port Authority of Thessaloniki and the Thessaloniki Tourism Organisation, which will contribute to a better understanding of the benefits of cruises for the local community.
The benefits that the cruise industry generates for both destinations and ports are frequently mentioned, but the real economic impact is rarely measured and rarely reported.
Participants in PSTF 2023 will have a unique opportunity to learn everything they need to know about actual passenger and crew spending levels, their preferred spending patterns, their visit satisfaction levels, and the potential for their return to the city.
The presentation will showcase the socioeconomic contribution of cruise ships to the port and city of Thessaloniki, and preliminary data already provides valuable insights into the spending patterns of cruise passengers and crew members in Thessaloniki. Cruise passengers allocate their spending to shopping (44%), restaurants and cafes (40%), sightseeing (12%), and grocery stores (3%). Crew members, on the other hand, allocate their spending to shopping (55%), restaurants and cafes (16%), transportation (14%), and grocery stores (10%).
