Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum 2021 to Table Global Cruise Industry Issues

Senior executives of leading international cruise lines will participate in the first virtual panel discussion of the 6th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum 2021, that will take place on May 25.

Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises; Michael Thamm, Group CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia; Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises; and Chris Theophilides, CEO of Celestyal Cruises, will share views and ideas during the forum’s first session titled “The Restart of Cruising in Europe and the Mediterranean”.

They will also present their companies’ initiatives and vision for the safe restart of cruise travel as well as the measures and protocols each cruise line is implementing for the interim period.

Other sessions during the one-day event will discuss the impact on shore excursions, destination management and delivery under the new health protocols, the environmental challenges ahead and the impact of Covid-19 on port operation and development.

The outlook for 2021

The outlook for the 2021 cruise season in Greece will be exclusively discussed in a dedicated session as the country banks on international visitor arrivals to revive an economy heavily dependent on tourism revenue. Greece, as well as all cruise destinations, lost much-needed income last year due to the suspension of the bulk of cruise operations worldwide.

CLIA estimates the disruption to have caused the world economy 77 billion dollars in global economic activity and 518,000 jobs.

“Cruise recovery won’t be plain sailing. The waves are high, seas are rough, however the collective minds and will of the industry and its stakeholders are strong enough to weather the storm caused by the pandemic and guide us to calmer waters and safer harbours,” said Theodore Vokos, Managing Director of Posidonia Exhibitions S.A, the event’s organiser.

Registration for the 6th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum 2021 is free of charge for members of the sea tourism and maritime community. Recordings of the sessions will be available on demand for all registered users until June 10.