Sea Tourism

The oversupply of capacity, the large number of ships under construction, the decline in traffic
and the significant decrease of banks funding shipping activities will be just some of the drawbacks shipping companies will face this year, according to the World Shipping Congress held in late February at the Divani Apollon Palace in Kavouri.

A joint ministerial decision with the Infrastructure, Transport and Networks Ministry to establish waterways in Greece (and this way attract seaplane companies to strengthen the transport of Greece’s border areas) is under preparation, according to an announcement made by the Development, Competitiveness and Shipping Ministry.

Princess Cruises passengers may have a hard time choosing among next summer’s array of Europe sailings as choices range from timeless cities of the Mediterranean, the splendor of Scandinavia and …

The regulations on the safety of large passenger cruise ships may be reviewed for change, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) said recently following the sinking of the Costa Concordia cruise ship on 13 January.

Although the number of cruise tourists from stopovers at Greek ports last year increased considerably (6,155,609 against 5,719,259 in 2010), major profits expected from the recent lifting of cabotage restrictions for non-European Union flag cruise ships would take a while to show, cruise industry experts recently told the Greek press.

“Cabotage is finally lifted,” the Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies (HATTA) said last month after the Cabinet approved the bill that included the full lifting of cabotage restrictions for non-European Union flag cruise ships.

The Development, Competitiveness and Shipping Ministry plans to table a law in Parliament soon and fully lift cabotage restrictions for non-European Union flag cruise ships, the Greek press said recently.

“The country’s reconstruction can be started only through strong entrepreneurship from strong investments that will create new jobs and this must be understood by the government, trade unions and all of society,” MIG’s chairman, Andreas Vgenopoulos, said last month at the inauguration ceremony of the Blue Star Delos vessel in Piraeus.

“Our coastal transport is shipping but also tourism and the tourism development of our country is based on the tourism development of the islands, which demands good ferry services,” Mihalis Sakellis, the CEO of Blue Star Ferries, said while speaking at the “Shipping Today and Tomorrow” conference held in Athens in late September.

Eight Greek coasts that had been honored with the quality “Blue Flag” award in June were dropped last month from the 2011 list, according to the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature.
Inspections revealed that coastal managers had failed to maintain the required cleanliness of the beaches, protect the environment and provide the necessary services to bathers.