CLIA Supports Santorini Mayor’s Intention to Cap Daily Cruise Arrivals

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which accounts for 95 percent of the global cruise sector, says it supports the intention of Santorini’s mayor to implement a daily cap on cruise ship arrivals to contain overtourism.

Representatives of CLIA visited the island on July 4 and met with local officials. During a meeting with the island’s mayor, Nikolaos Zorzos, the association’s representatives agreed to work jointly for the sustainable future of cruise tourism on Santorini. They acknowledged that cruise tourism management on Santorini is a priority for the sector in Greece, as included in CLIA’s action plan for Greece.

CLIA Regional Director for Eastern Mediterranean, Maria Deligianni, said the association  shares the view expressed recently by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the importance of responsible tourism management for the island.

“Mayor Zorzos has been clear with us from the beginning of this season about his intention to implement strictly the existing daily cap of 8,000 cruise visitors at 75 percent cruise capacity, and we are supportive of this position, recognizing the circumstances of Santorini,” she said.

Deligianni reaffirmed that since the initial introduction of the daily cap of 8,000 cruise visitors in 2018, cruise lines remained committed to implementing the rules as prescribed by the local administration.

Moreover, she noted that, as on Mykonos, the association supports local efforts on Santorini to implement a berth management system, accompanied by a transparent berthing policy with clear rules and criteria.

“This is the only way to spread cruise calls during the day and week,” Deligianni added.

CLIA’s engagement on Santorini is part of the association’s action plan for Greece that was launched last year, and aims to secure positive impacts for local communities, while delivering a guest experience that meets the high expectations of visitors to Greece.

With the cruise industry calling for holistic approach to destination management on the island, other matters were discussed during the meeting, including the possible development of additional interfaces on the island.

The meeting was also attended by CLIA Vice President, Ports & Destinations Nikos Mertzanidis, Municipal Port Fund of Santorini President Georgios Nomikos, Municipal Council President Georgia Nomikou and Special Advisor to the Mayor, Anastasios Konidaris.