Greek Shipowners Call for the Creation of a National Cruise Committee

A national committee that will oversee matters of cruise travel was the focus of a recent meeting between the alternate minister of Shipping & the Aegean, Thodoris Dritsas; his counterpart in tourism, Elena Kountoura; and the board of the Union of Cruise Shipowners and Associated Members (EEKFN).

According to local media reports, the shipowners called on the government to establish a national committee that will coordinate all cruise-related matters to be made up of representatives from all ministries, EEKFN, port administration and sector authorities.

The parties also discussed issues affecting cruise travel as well as pressing challenges ahead of the summer tourism season.

The shipowners called on the government to examine among other issues the upgrade of port infrastructure in order to best serve incoming vessels, the simplification of the visa procedure for non-Schengen travellers, the expansion of the tourism season, the introduction of direct transatlantic air links with Greece, the international promotion of Greek cruise travel, the extension of opening hours at museums and archaeological sites, pricing and manning port authorities, particularly during peak seasons.