Greek Cruise Industry Calls for Measures to Keep it Afloat Amid Refugee Crisis, Attacks

The Greek cruise travel industry is calling on the government, companies and relevant bodies to take measures to keep it afloat in view of the recent attacks in Ankara, and the resultant travel directives issued by the US and several EU countries.

At the same time, a number of cruise companies are rescheduling their itineraries away from Turkey, opting for Greece instead, while tour operators are expressing concerns over the increasing number of cancellations for trips in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“In order to minimize losses and gain trust with proper management and hospitality,” the president of the Shipowners Association of Cruise Ships and Shipping Agencies, Theodoros Kontes, suggests boosting security at ports, airports and popular tourist sites, dealing effectively with the refugee problem with emphasis on ports at islands directly affected, amending the taxation applicable to EU cruise travel due to extraordinary circumstances, and finally, reversing the negative portrayal of Greece in the international media, beginning with the extensive presentation of cruise travel in Greece at this year’s Seatrade Cruise Global currently running in Florida.