Yacht Arrivals More than Double

The number of foreign recreational boats arriving in Greek ports and marinas has more than doubled this summer. Data collected by the sector’s professional bodies and submitted to the Ministry of Tourism Development, show that from May up until the end of August there were 1,101 arrivals recorded from abroad. This compares with a meager 433 arrivals recorded during the same period last year.

The greatest increases in arrivals, reaching up to 300 percent, were recorded on Mykonos and Kefalonia and then on Rodos and in Piraeus.

Deputy Tourism Development Minister Anastassios Liaskos said that yachting is experiencing one of the most impressive seasons of the last 20 years. He then stressed that his ministry’s resolve and deter-mination to strengthen the maritime tourism sector continues unabated as this is one of the most important segments of alternate tourism to be developed in the years to come.

In cooperation with the Economy and Merchant Marine ministries, he added, measures will be pro-moted to boost boat traffic further and render recreational boats’ mooring in Greek marinas more attractive, while special incentives will be given for foreign boats to spend the winter in marinas here.