Despite Record Tourism, Cruises to Greece Seen Slipping 15%


While Greece expect another record number of tourists this year, they won’t be coming on ships too much.

Cruise tourism activity is projected to show a 15 percent drop this year, Theodore Kontes, head of the Union of Cruise Ship Owners & Associated Members (EEKFN) said.

Kontes said cruise ship business will be far off in the eastern Mediterranean because of war in the Mideast and political instability in Egypt, Lebanon and Israel and ongoing turmoil in Turkey.

Despite that, estimates suggest cruise tourism revenues will be maintained or even rise this year and could hit 500 million euros ($543.38 million).

“We are happy to see an increase in the tourism flow to Greece, but we cannot feel certain about further growth as things stand,” Kontes told an event ahead of the 4th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum, which is scheduled to take place at the Megaron Athens International Conference Center on May 23 and 24, the newspaper Kathimerini reported.

Kontes said the sector is trying to contain losses from major established markets while striving to bolster traffic from other countries such as China, Russia, India and others in Asia showing growing interest in Greece, particularly China.

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