Greece eyes over €1.1b in economic impact from cruise activities

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

All eyes will be on Greece later this month when Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum takes place in Thessaloniki.

Greece is poised for an increase in economic impact from cruising, with Piraeus, the country’s leading seaport, forecasted to exceed 1m passengers in 2023.

According to recently released Cruise Lines International Association data, in 2021, Greece achieved an unprecedented economic impact of €1.1b from cruise activities, compared to €957m in 2019.

Greece supported 15,100 of the 315,000 cruise jobs in Europe, as a significant increase in homeporting led to cruise lines purchasing goods and services from port suppliers.

Also, overnight stays in local hotels contributed to increased economic impact due to longer stays of ships in port to carry out technical work.

Theodore Vokos, managing director of Posidonia Exhibitions SA, said with new cruise terminals set to be built in Souda-Chania after 2024, the planned expansion of the Piraeus cruise terminal and Thessaloniki’s growing potential as an additional cruise hub, the industry’s growth is set to continue in Greece for the years to come.

Thessaloniki April 25-26

The Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum will be held in Thessaloniki April 25-26 and will focus on ‘The Return to Growth: Challenges ahead for Cruise Lines and Destinations’.

The event will also be the platform for the first presentation of a socioeconomic impact study produced by Thessaloniki Port Authority and Thessaloniki Tourism Organisation.

Preliminary data already provide insight into the spending patterns of cruise passengers and crew members in Thessaloniki: passengers spend on shopping (44%), restaurants/cafeterias (40%), sightseeing (12%) and food stores (3%). Crew spend on shopping (55%), restaurants/cafeterias (16%), transportation (14%) and food stores (10%).

Theodora Riga, COO & director of strategic communications, Port of Thessaloniki, commented that they are financing this study together with the Thessaloniki Tourism Organisation to better understand how the cruise industry benefits their city and how they can further enhance both passenger experience during their stay and the benefits for the local, regional and national economy.

Once they better understand passenger expectations as a destination, they will be better able to provide cruise passengers a unique experience.

This will serve as their stepping stone to attract more cruise lines to Thessaloniki in the coming years.

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