Sea Tourism

If the country’s beach environment was part of this year’s Olympic Games, Greece would pick up the Silver medal this year. Beach properties in the country were awarded a record 378 Blue Flags, against 373 last year, and seven of its marinas now fly the coveted award (five last year). The only one of the participating countries that did better was “Gold medal” winner Spain with Blue Flags on 450 of its beaches and 68 marinas.

The Evgenidou Foundation Athens Observatory was the venue for one of the most impressive press conferences this year and was organized by Sueprfast Ferries to present the company’s Superfast team of track and field stars. This year’s team includes five of the most promising athletes in Greece.

After the last few years with red ink on its balance sheet, Hellas Flying Dolphins is back in the black with a net profit for 2003 of some 7.1 million euros, against a loss of 49.3 million euros the year before.

Blue Star Ferries announced that it broke the half a million mark in passengers carried on its Piraeus-Chania route. On March 24 the Greek ferry line’s electronic Check-in system on board encountered the route’s 500,001 passenger as she boarded with her ticket in hand.

Air Sea Lines SA, incorporated in Athens late last year, announced last month that it is ready to provide seaplane scheduled, “for hire” and charter passenger services connecting multiple island and coastal harbors within Greece.

In late January, Festival Cruises (of Greek-Italian interests) was broiled in talks with creditors in an attempt to reverse a decision to auction off its three recently acquired cruise ships — the Mistral, European Vision and European Star. In mid February, Festival announced its Flamenco cruise vessel had been sold for $12.25 million and that similar deals were in the fire for the vessels Azur and Bolero. The Gibraltar authorities were holding the three vessels after petitions by creditors.

After the sale of four of its first-generation super-fast ferry vessels, Attica Enterprises reportedly has its eyes on foreign shipyards for the construction of new vessels within the framework of a new investment program. This time, however, the new vessels concern its coastal shipping subsidiary, Blue Star Ferries, rather than Superfast Ferries, say press reports.

Royal Olympia Cruises, Greece’s only international player in the sector, has been forced by creditors to auction off its two star vessels, Olympia Voyager (launched June, 2000) and Olympia Explorer (launched April, 2002).

Presently, four of Greece’s major ferry routes — Dodekanissos, Cylades, Argosaronikos, Crete — fulfill the requirements for complete liberation when discussions are finalized between Greece’s merchant marine ministry and the European Commission.

Attica Enterprises announced last month that Atlantic Navigazione of Grimaldi Group, Napoli, has entered into an agreement with its wholly owned subsidiary Superfast Ferries to acquire the fast ferry Superfast I.