by Paris Tsirigotis

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the leading voice of the global cruise industry, which represents 95% of the industry, met with the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Christos Stylianidis.

During the meeting, the constructive dialogue between CLIA and the ministry, as well as the mutual commitment to cooperation in the common goal of the sustainable development of the cruise industry in Greece, were confirmed.“Greece is a major cruise destination in Europe, and we wish to continue working with the Greek government to protect the country’s uniqueness. In particular, we highlighted this need for the first time last year, when we presented the Cruise Industry Action Plan for Greece, which aims to address the current challenges and opportunities for the industry,” said Marie-Caroline Laurent, General Manager of CLIA in Europe.

Considering that 57% of cruise tourism in Greece annually (according to 2023 data) is concentrated in Piraeus, Santorini, and Mykonos, CLIA discussed with the Minister the possibility of highlighting new destinations in Greece.

CLIA confirmed the strong interest of cruise lines in enriching their itineraries with additional Greek destinations, given the wide range of options that the country offers. The improvement and upgrading of port infrastructure and port services was also discussed and it was pointed out that homeporting activities constitute a great economic opportunity for the country, as approximately 70% of the ships sailing in Greek ports this year are homeporting.

The importance of the cruise industry to European shipbuilding was also discussed – with around 80% of the order book value of European shipyards coming from cruise ships.