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06
March 2024

Hellenic Ports Association: Cruise figures for Greek ports 2023

Table depicting total figures of Greek Cruise (Calls and passengers per port) for the years 2023 -2022

30
November 2023
Heraklion

Ο.Λ.Η. Α.Ε:.Ανάπτυξη της Κρουαζιέρας στο Λιμάνι του Ηρακλείου σύμφωνα με τα στατιστικά στοιχεία του ΟΛΗ

Ανοδική πορεία δηλώνουν σύμφωνα με τα ως τώρα διαθέσιμα στοιχεία οι προσεγγίσεις κρουαζιερόπλοιων  με τις εταιρείες κρουαζιέρας να δίνουν ψήφο εμπιστοσύνης στο Λιμάνι του Ηρακλείου για το 2023.    Ολο ένα και περισσότερα κρουαζιερόπλοια μεγάλων εταιρειών καταπλέουν έως σήμερα στο λιμάνι του Ηρακλείου που έχει μπει δυναμικά  στο μονοπάτι της  ανάπτυξης του τουρισμού   αποτελώντας όχι μόνον  homeport, δηλαδή λιμάνι επιβίβασης ή και αποβίβασης επιβατών επί κρουαζιεροπλοίων  αλλά  και αποκτώντας διεθνή αναγνώριση στον παγκόσμιο χάρτη της κρουαζιέρας.    Με τα διαθέσιμα στοιχεία σε ομαλή εξέλιξη μέχρι το τέλος του 2023 έχουν προγραμματιστεί συνολικά 253 κρουαζιερόπλοια  και από αυτά 7 προσεγγίσεις είναι έκτακτές λόγω Ισραήλ.    Επιπλέον  θα καταπλεύσουν  άλλα 8 πλοία για τον μήνα Δεκέμβριο 2023   ενώ τον Νοέμβριο ήρθαν λόγω Ισραήλ 8 επιπλέον πλοία με 7.152 επιβάτες.   Σε προτίμηση επισκεψιμότητας όσον αφορά την εθνικότητα προηγούνται οι Αμερικάνοι και  ακολουθούν οι Ιταλοί, οι Γερμανοί, οι Άγγλοι, οι Ισπανοί, οι Καναδοί, οι Αυστραλοί, οι Γάλλοι, οι Έλληνες και τέλος οι Τούρκοι.    Αισιόδοξες παραμένουν επίσης  οι προοπτικές για την πορεία της κρουαζιέρας για το 2024 και προς αυτό το στόχο η Διοίκηση του ΟΛΗ προσηλωμένη στην αναβάθμιση του εύρους και της ποιότητας των υπηρεσιών λαμβάνει όλες τις  απαραίτητες πρωτοβουλίες,  παρεμβάσεις και καινοτομίες ώστε το Λιμάνι του Ηρακλείου να παραμείνει και συνεχώς να αναδεικνύεται σε έναν σημαντικό και αξιόπιστο προορισμό κρουαζιέρας.   

29
September 2023

Hellenic Ports Association: Cruise figures for Greek ports 2022

Please find attached the Final Table of Greek for the year 2022, also in comparison with the years 2021, 2020 and 2019, incorporating the updated data from Piraeus Port Authority.

18
September 2023
Mykonos

MYKONOS AT THE EUROPEAN CRUISE CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION SEATRADE EUROPE

MYKONOS, GREECE – September 15, 2023 – Mykonos actively participated in the European cruise conference and corresponding exhibition Seatrade Europe 2023, held in Hamburg, Germany. Significant announcements and meetings took place during the event, elevating Mykonos as a cruise destination.   Concurrently, several other companies expressed their willingness to contribute to environmental programs to promote the destination's sustainability. Scheduled meetings took place with cruise lines during which initiatives and improvements made in 2023 were presented, along with plans for the future. A meeting was also held with Marie-Caroline Laurent, the General Director of CLIA Europe, where issues concerning sustainable cruise development and the promotion of best practices were discussed. Ms. Laurent suggested that CLIA could assist both with the specialized port committees and with funded research for the development of the global destination of Mykonos.   Particular emphasis was given to the arrival-departure control program of the Municipal Port Authority, which all cruise companies are waiting to be published. There are also plans for the regeneration of the "Kolokytha" area, where new berths for the tenders boats will be created at the Old Port Area of Mykonos, improving the travelers' experience and helping to decongest the road network between the new and old ports.   In collaboration with Five Senses Consulting and Ioannis Bras, the Municipal Port Authority's consultant, the highly successful "Mykonos Smart Signs" project was also showcased. Through this project, visitors can access information about the history, culture, and history of Mykonos in five different languages, using the latest technology, including QR codes and NFC tags.   Moreover, it is essential to highlight the significant contribution of the cruise industry to the local economy. Over 50-60% of visitors are expected to return to the island as regular tourists, contributing to both the immediate and mid-term dynamics of the local economy. The impact of Mykonos extends throughout the country, creating a recognizable brand that attracts visitors from all over the world.   The Municipal Port Authority of Mykonos shows dedication to improving the cruise destination as a result of collective efforts, supported by the Municipal Authority of Mykonos to enhance the connection between the cruise industry, local businesses, and the island's products.  

14
September 2023
Piraeus

ΟΛΠ Α.Ε.: Συμμετοχή στην έκθεση κρουαζιέρας SeaΤrade Europe στο Αμβούργο Μεγάλη αύξηση στα μεγέθη της κρουαζιέρας

14 Σεπτεμβρίου 2023. Η ΟΛΠ Α.Ε. συμμετείχε με δικό της περίπτερο και προώθησε την ελληνική λιμενική βιομηχανία κρουαζιέρας στην ευρωπαϊκή έκθεση για την κρουαζιέρα “Seatrade Europe, Cruise & River Cruise Convention 2023”, η οποία φέτος πραγματοποιήθηκε από τις 6 μέχρι τις 8 Σεπτεμβρίου στο Αμβούργο. Η SeaTrade Europe είναι μια από τις σημαντικότερες εκθέσεις στον τομέα της κρουαζιέρας και συγκεντρώνει διαχρονικά όλους τους ηγέτες του κλάδου, οι οποίοι έχουν την ευκαιρία να ανταλλάξουν απόψεις και να συζητήσουν τις τελευταίες τάσεις και εξελίξεις γύρω από την κρουαζιέρα με βάση την καινοτομία, την αριστεία και τη βιωσιμότητα στις σχετικές λιμενικές λειτουργίες.     Η ΟΛΠ Α.Ε. μέσω της συμμετοχής των έμπειρων στην κρουαζιέρα στελεχών της αλλά και με τον ειδικά διαμορφωμένο χώρο εκεί -περίπτερο, ανέδειξε τις ανωτέρου επιπέδου λιμενικές υπηρεσίες κρουαζιέρας του λιμένος Πειραιά, μοιράστηκε την υψηλή τεχνογνωσία που διαθέτει και έλαβε μέρος σε συζητήσεις για τα σημαντικά ζητήματα του κλάδου με γνώμονα τη σταθερή εξέλιξη των παρεχόμενων υπηρεσιών με σεβασμό στο περιβάλλον και μέριμνα για το μέλλον και τις επόμενες γενιές. Συγκεκριμένα, η εταιρεία παρουσίασε την πελατοκεντρική προσέγγιση και τις υπερσύγχρονες λύσεις τερματικού σταθμού κρουαζιέρας του λιμένος Πειραιά, οι οποίες είναι ειδικά σχεδιασμένες για τη βελτίωση της εξυπηρέτησης των πελατών σε όλα τα επίπεδα, ανέδειξε τις βιώσιμες πρακτικές κρουαζιέρας που ήδη εφαρμόζονται και συμβάλλουν στη μείωση των περιβαλλοντικών επιπτώσεων και στον υπεύθυνο τουρισμό, αναφέρθηκε στη μεγάλη σημασία και συστηματική επιδίωξη στρατηγικών και καινοτόμων συνεργασιών με κορυφαίες εταιρείες κρουαζιέρας, ενώσεις και άλλους φορείς, καθώς και για τον κρίσιμο ρόλο του παγκοσμίου δικτύου κρουαζιέρας για τη διασύνδεση των γραμμών και τη διευκόλυνση των ταξιδιών σε παγκόσμιο επίπεδο. Σημειώνεται ότι στις αρχές του έτους η ΟΛΠ Α.Ε είχε βραβευτεί από το Υπουργείο Τουρισμού, για τη μεγάλη συνεισφορά του λιμένα Πειραιά στον τουρισμό της χώρας μέσα από τις υψηλές επιδόσεις του στον τομέα της κρουαζιέρας. Ο Πειραιάς στη βάση της παραπάνω εφαρμοζόμενης στρατηγικής βρίσκεται πλέον ανάμεσα στα κορυφαία λιμάνια κρουαζιέρας στη Μεσόγειο. Τονίζεται δε ότι την περίοδο Ιανουάριος - Αύγουστος του 2023 σημειώθηκε στο λιμάνι του Πειραιά 85% αύξηση στο σύνολο των επιβατών κρουαζιέρας σε σχέση με το έτος 2022, 928.357 επιβάτες έναντι 500.905 με το 78% των πλοίων και το 55% των επιβατών να αποτελούν πλοία και επιβάτες homeporting, δηλαδή πλοία τα οποία εκκινούν την κρουαζιέρα από το λιμάνι του Πειραιά, με τις αφίξεις να φθάνουν τις 478 το 2023 έναντι 419 το 2023, αύξηση της τάξεως του 14%.    Η διοίκηση της ΟΛΠ Α.Ε. συνεχίζει να εφαρμόζει πιστά τη στρατηγική και τον σχεδιασμό για το λιμάνι του Πειραιά, παραμένοντας προσηλωμένη στο όραμά της και ευρισκόμενη στην πρώτη γραμμή της καινοτομίας και της βιωσιμότητας για την κρουαζιέρα, συμβάλλοντας έτσι και στην εθνική τουριστική βιομηχανία.  

25
April 2023
Heraklion

OLH:Environmental action by crew members of the Cruise Ship Costa Fortuna during its stay at the port of Heraklion, in the framework of the International "Earth Day"

  Earth Day was established in 1970, in the USA, and marks the birth of the modern environmental movement. Soon, it spread throughout the world and today, it is celebrated in more than 190 countries around the planet. On the occasion of Earth Day, crew members of Costa Fortuna Cruise Ship during their stay at the Port of Heraklion on Sunday, April 23, gave their own message for maintaining and enhancing a clean environment in order to deepen environmental awareness and pursue environmental awareness.    Equipped with the necessary equipment and the garbage transport car provided by the Heraklion Port Authority, they proceeded to clean the coast of the bay of Dermata where a large number of debris were collected. The initiative of this action signals how timely and urgent is the need to mobilize everyone to protect the planet, due to the emergency and worsening climate change, a battle that must be fought daily by all the inhabitants of the Earth, a battle for the future of the Earth.    The CEO of OLI Mr. Minas Papadakis thanked the officers of Mr. Costa Fortuna Mr. Costache Stefan, Environmental Manager and Mr. Foslui Florina, Human Resources Director, for their great symbolic gesture, and stated that while every day we must be kind to the planet, Earth Day is an opportunity to show our appreciation for the planet that has hosted humanity for millions of years and to acquire new habits.   Along with Costa Fortuna, at the port of Heraklion on Sunday 23/4/2023 there was heavy cruise ship traffic, with the Azamara Pursuit, Le Champlain and Celestyal Olympia remaining in the port for several hours. As stated by the CEO of OLI, Mr. Minas Papadakis, the bet on the spectacular growth in the cruise sector continues for 2023 from the already scheduled cruise ship calls that will exceed by 20% the arrivals of 2022, where the total arrivals of cruise ships that called at the Port of Heraklion were 227 with a number of passenger arrivals of 304,257.    The Port of Heraklion is evolving into an ideal cruise destination, as a Home Port and as a hub for cruising in South-eastern Europe, attracting tourists from all over the world. A small indication of this impression appeared on Sunday with the arrival of 4 Cruise Ships, giving an extremely beautiful picture to the Port of our city.   

10
February 2023

Cruise statistics for Greek ports 2022

Table depicting total figures of Greek Cruise (calls and passengers per port) for the years 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

09
January 2023
Piraeus

PPA. S.A.: First cruise ship of the year, Viking Sky arrives at the Port of Piraeus.

Press Release   PPA. S.A.: First cruise ship of the year, Viking Sky arrives at the Port of Piraeus. January 9th, 2023. The management team of PPA S.A. welcomes Viking Sky, the first cruise ship to arrive at the port of Piraeus in the new year through a special ceremony for the exchange of plaques and Christmas treats for all passengers during their arrival at the Cruise terminal.    According to Viking Sky’s annual schedule, 12 more additional arrivals (homeport) are expected in 2023 with the passenger occupancy rate to exceed 85%, despite the fact that it just launched in January.  Overall, the liners’ cruise ships perform homeport arrivals at the Piraeus port throughout the whole year; in 2023, according to bookings’ data, 35 additional arrivals of the liners cruise ships are expected at the port of Piraeus, indicating a significant growth rate of 13%.    Overall, based on the pre-bookings data, the cruise industry at the port of Piraeus sees a momentum this year, since 786 arrivals with a growth of 16% from previous year are expected. In 2022, the arrivals growth rate has already exceeded the pre-pandemic performance indicators. Moreover, an increase of approximately 5% from last year is also expected in homeport arrivals, while it is worth noting that in 2022 the homeport arrivals saw an increase of more than 30% compared to 2019.   PPA’s Deputy CEO, Capt. Jin Beiyuan, welcomes the dynamic path of the cruise business at the Port of Piraeus, by highlighting the fact that this result is a combination of the consistent and focused work, the significant investments and all the modernization and upgrade works, alongside Greece’s and the port of Piraeus’ undeniable strategic location. Continuing the dynamic path of the cruise industry is a vital component of PPA’s strategy, since it constitutes a win-win activity for all stakeholders, but mainly for the local community, the neighboring municipalities, the Attica region and the country overall.   About PPA S.A. Piraeus Port Authority S.A. is an Athens Stock Exchange listed company engaged in the management and operation of Piraeus port, Greece’s largest port and one of the largest integrated harbours in Europe, providing a complete range of services. Some of the company’s activities involve cruise, coastal (ferry/passenger), container and car terminal services, as well as general cargo, ship repair, logistic and free zone services. The main shareholder of Piraeus Port Authority S.A., with a stake of 67 percent, is COSCO SHIPPING, one of the largest maritime companies in the world. Over the last decade the company has experienced a remarkable growth in all port activities, which is still underway, largely contributing to the country’s economy, while driven by green development and increased digitalization, alongside a people-first approach and a spirit of giving back to the society.  PPA holds the ''ECO PORT'' PERS status, is included in the Athens Stock Exchange ESG index and is one of the “Most Sustainable Companies in Greece 2022”.   For more information please visit: https://olp.gr    

16
December 2022
Heraklion

O.L.H S.A: The ELECTRIPORT project for the Port of Heraklion, a “smart” port of the future, was presented in Athens.

  An ambitious development project concerning ship electrification plans that will transform the port of Heraklion into a green Port with the creation of ship electrification facilities (Cold Ironing), was presented at the Conference: " PROJECT FINDINGS, OPPORTUNITIES, RISKS & THREATS OF “COLD IRONING” IN PORTS ", held on Saturday, December 10th, at the Athens Marriott Hotel. ELECTRIPORT, is co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility of the European Union, with the aim of conducting detailed analysis of energy needs and completes its Studies by delivering the results within the next three months.   The project reduces the environmental footprint of ships with high energy needs such as cruise ships, while simultaneously upgrading and modernizing the port facilities, through energy transformation and shift to “green” forms of energy.   In his speech, the CEO of Heraklion Port Authority S.A., Mr. Minas Papadakis, emphasized the dramatic consequences of climate change that many countries on the planet experience and pointed out the need for immediate action to be taken for drastically reducing the greenhouse gas emissions, which will contribute to the reduction of air pollution in the city of Heraklion and will lead a pilot project for the development of other similar projects in port cities.   Mr. Minas Papadakis, also, stated in his presentation that the strategies for a "smart" port of the future, are taking shape in the port of Heraklion. The application and installation of cold ironing in the port of Heraklion reduces the environmental footprint of the ships while at the same time it upgrades and modernizes the port facilities. This course increases the competitiveness of the port of Heraklion by attracting investors while the resale of the electric energy will not only have a financial benefit for the Heraklion Port Authority, but also for the ships being supplied. Despite any problems and difficulties such as the cost of transition, the required power being secured, the pricing of the provided energy and the sustainability of the investment, the timing of the implementation of the project is considered great, due to the interconnection of Crete with the electricity network of the mainland of Greece, which makes the development of Cold ironing facilities at the port of Heraklion sustainable and technically feasible. Mr. Papadakis presented a map that reflected the electrification systems in European ports, where the absence of such activity in the countries of Southern Europe was evident in relation to the countries of the Northern region where the electrification systems have been already evolving already for 20 years. Mrs. Maria Deligiannis, the National Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Cruise Lined International Association (CLIA), also focused on that point, stating only 29 ports in the world have Cold ironing.   The weaknesses of the electrical networks in supporting ports, are one of the causes of the general delay of the cold ironing programs internationally with Mr. Manolis Koutoulakis, the General Secretary for Insular Policy and Aegean, stating that the project NEARCHOS for the financing of green island and port infrastructures will begin to be implemented from the beginning of 2023. In addition, the progress of the implementation of the project was presented by the rest of the project partners, while a conversation took place with the attendees and many questions were answered regarding the Cold ironing technology.   The partnership of the ELECTRIPORT project consists of:  Heraklion Port Authority S.A., Lead Partner  Wartsilla Hellas  Premium Consulting  BMG Marine – Electromechanical Engineers,  Hellenic Mediterranean University (ELMEPA)  ANELIXIS Development Consultants S.A  MSI Hellas, Private Security Company  National Technical University of Athens   The ELECTRIPORT project, through the holding of the Conference, created an open platform for dialogue and for techno – information exchange, where the technical limitations, the effectiveness of the installation at the port as well as the feasibility and effectiveness of the whole project were thoroughly examined.  Dimensions such as the economic aspect, the pricing models, the private and social surplus that are linked to the elimination of harmful gases and substances were processed and in general, the final results reflected as many views and aspects as possible regarding Cold ironing.  

02
November 2022
Piraeus

PPA S.A.: Plaque Exchange Ceremony with Viking Cruises The Port of Piraeus a top destination for the global cruise industry

November 2, 2022. PPA S.A. and Viking Cruises, one of the top cruise liners in the world, exchanged their plaques in a ceremony held at the Port of Piraeus to warmly welcome the cruise ship Viking Mars, whose maiden voyage took place in May 2022.   It is noted that October was the month with the most Viking Cruise arrivals at the Port of Piraeus in 2022. Based on the Cruise liners pre-bookings, whose cruise ships arrive at the Port of Piraeus around the year, in 2022 an overall increase of 48% is expected, while the increase in the homeported arrivals is estimated at 107% compared to 2021.   This is part of an overall optimistic trend and an indication of the dynamic Cruise restart at the Port of Piraeus. Some of the world’s largest, most advanced and luxurious cruise ships of the leading cruise companies internationally made their debut, while arrivals of new companies are added on a frequent basis. Also, during 2022 new large-scale cruise ships of around 300 meters in length arrive on a weekly basis. Based on the 2023 pre-bookings the positive prospects will continue also in the next year.   The Port of Piraeus is an important destination for cruise ships in the Mediterranean Sea with 11 places able to accommodate the simultaneous berthing of the largest cruise ships in the world. In 2019, before the pandemic, the Piraeus port broke the limit of 1 million cruise passengers. In 2021, the port succeeded in serving a significant number of cruise ships, contributing to the recovery of the Greek tourist industry.   Today, the recovery of the cruise business is moving at a rapid pace, achieving at the same time a significant structural modification in the business mix, since many are the cruise ships, like the Viking Cruise example, that use the Port of Piraeus as home port. This trend was especially obvious during the first half of 2022 with 65% of the cruise ships serviced being homeported.  During the same period the overall growth of the cruise business was exponential with over 800% increase in passengers compared to 2021. The rapid uptake of the cruise routes and the homeported ships generates positive prospects for the coming years and contributes to the national effort towards an overall country port industry growth and island development.   

10
October 2022
Heraklion

O.L.H S.A First Familiarization Trip for selected cruise line executives in Heraklion

The Heraklion Port Authority, as part of the strategic actions it implements for the cruise business development, organized a familiarization trip for selected cruise cruise line executives by the end of September 2022 (fam trip).    The fam trip which was focused both at the cruise port updates and cruise destination enrichment, organized by OLI from September 19 to 22, 2022 and was completed with great  success, where senior cruise line executives from the luxury segment participated.  For the first time, the cruise line executives gathered to jointly explore the possibility of expanding their planned cruise calls but also to live and to know first-hand the hospitality, the quality of services as well as the social and human values in the island of Crete.   The familiarization trip was intended to promote Heraklion and Crete as one of the major  cultural, historical, archaeological and gastronomic cruise destinations in Mediterranean, in order to increase the cruise guests traffic to our island and not only.  The participants of the fam trip    were from the Azamara Cruises (Ms. Joni Lundsford), from SilverSea Cruises (Ms. Natasha Tramutola) and from   Holland America Group and Carnival Corp.  (Mr. Michele Bosco), representing together 10 cruise brands.    During fam trip, the cruise executives held meetings with the management of OLI, where the CEO, Mr. Minas Papadakis, with a detailed presentation, referred to the main pillars of Heraklion Port development, the future goals and programs/initiatives that OLI is already adopting and participating for the green transition and   the energy model transformation.  The cruise line executives also had meetings with the local and regional authority officials as well as with the Directors and Supervisors of the Heraklion Port Authority, in order to get relevant information about all the cruise destination possibilities for the luxury segment cruise guests.     For this reason, full-day tours were organized with the aim of highlighting the main points of interest and the off the beaten path undiscovered treasures of Crete.  All the suggested excursions were escorted by professional guides, special routes of historical and archaeological interest were presented that highlighted the most important sites and attractions and the incredible mosaic that describes the unique profile of the Cretan landscape.  There were special presentations and reports on the possibilities offered by our island for the cruise destination development, asuch as the biomatic and authentic experiences, the culinary and gastronomy wealth of Cretan cuisine.    The Managing Director of OLI, Mr. Minas Papadakis, noted that the cruise line executives clearly expressed their pleasure to be part of the fam trip as well as their satisfaction for the possibilities offered by our cruise destination, they announced their intention to include new excursions in their future calls, which justifies the effort of OLI to contribute to the cruise development of Crete island.   The Heraklion Port Authority would like to thank consulting company ICCS Corp and personally Mr. Chris Nicolaides, for the cooperation in the implementation of the familiarization trip.  

31
May 2022
Piraeus

PPA S.A.: Strong Cruising Growth at the Port of Piraeus

May, 31 2022.  A dynamic cruising season has already kickstarted at the Port of Piraeus, after some of the world’s largest, most advanced and luxurious cruise ships of the leading cruise companies internationally made their debut.   More specifically, in the previous period the ultra-luxury mega yacht “Scenic Eclipse” owned by the Australian Scenic - Luxury Cruises & Tours which is described as the first six-star yacht, as well as the Royal Caribbean mega cruise line “Odyssey of the Seas” which can accommodate up to 5,500 passengers, but also the “Celebrity Beyond”, the newest and most luxurious vessel of Celebrity, with a capacity of up to 3,937 passengers, made their maiden arrival at the Port of Piraeus.   Overall, PPA S.A. is expecting within the fiscal year 2022 the arrival of 750 cruise ships, 66% of which will be homeported at the Port of Piraeus, while arrivals of new companies are also scheduled for 2022.    This dynamic cruising restart is not an accidental event, but the result of the implementation of the strategic growth path of the Port of Piraeus. The new enhanced and modernized Port infrastructure as well as the high-end, quality services provided, backed with the unique geographic location of the largest harbor in Greece have turned the Port of Piraeus into one of the most attractive hub destinations for the cruise industry worldwide.   

10
May 2022

Hellenic Ports Association: Cruise figures for Greek ports 2019-2021

Please find attached the Final Table of Greek Cruise for the year 2021, also in comparison with the years 2020 and 2019, incorporating the updated data from Piraeus Port Authority.  

10
May 2022

PPA S.A.: Participation at the International Seatrade Cruise Global 2022 in Miami

10 May 2022. PPA S.A. presented and promoted the Greek Cruise Industry at the global Seatrade Cruise Global 2022 event taking place from the 25th to 28th of April, as the Port of Piraeus is one of the leading cruise ports in the Mediterranean Region and Europe. The Seatrade Cruise Global is one of the largest and more significant cruise events in the industry in Miami, the leading cruise port in the world providing all stakeholders an excellent platform for discussion and networking as well as of information exchange around the newest updates in the industry.    PPA was represented by a delegation team at the booth of the National Tourism Organization together with representatives of other Greek ports such as Thessaloniki and Corfu, the Region of Central Macedonia and the South Aegean Region. During the event, P.P.A. appreciated the excellent feedback received from leaders within the cruising industry, who already enjoy the Port of Piraeus cruise services, on the holistic and high-end services and support provided at the Port.   The dynamic cruise restarting at the port of Piraeus, after the management of the pandemic is obvious, as approximately 750 cruise ships are expected to arrive at the port in 2022 of which 66% concern homeport arrivals at Piraeus. At the same time in 2022, new brands are scheduled to reach the Port, such as Virgin Cruises, as well as the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.     

07
April 2022
Heraklion

OLH: Cruise season inauguration in Heraklion, Crete was officially announced by Mr. Vassilis Kikilias Minister of Tourism, on Sunday April 3rd, at Heraklion Port.

Cruise season inauguration in Heraklion, Crete was officially announced by Mr. Vasilis Kikilias Minister of Tourism, on Sunday April 3rd, at Heraklion Port.    A special event & ceremony organized by Port Authority of Heraklion (OLH SA) on board TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 5 luxury cruise vessel which is docked at Pier V. This event honored by their presence, the Archbishop of Crete His Eminence Mr. Eugenios , the Member of the Parliament Mr. Senetakis, the Governor of Crete Mr. Arnaoutakis, the Mayor of City of Heraklion Mr. Lambros, the Aegean Sea & Island Policy Secretary of Ministry of Merchandise Marine & Insular Policy Mr. Koutoulakis, ELIME’s General Manager Mr. Iatridis, the MedCruise President Mrs Ayan Figen, the MedCruise’s Secretary Mrs Aimilia Papachristou and the representative of CLIA Europe Mrs Maria Deligianni.   This exceptional importance event was also the opening of the homeport cruise season and was organized with the kind cooperation of TUI Cruises, as part of Mein Schiff 5 welcome ceremony, which chose for the second consecutive year the Heraklion Port as a homeport for the Mediterranean Sea itineraries. Mein Schiff 5 will operate round trip itineraries from Heraklion Port to the Aegean Sea and alternatively to the Ionian Sea in 7 days cruises.   In the framework of cruise inauguration, the vessel’s Master Captain George Dimou welcomed the official guests, giving the floor to the Minister of Tourism Mr. Kikilias sharing the most optimistic message for the Tourism season describing Crete as the country’s tourism flagship, as well as the  Heraklion Port importance for its contribution to the cruise development, giving praise to the Management of OLH SA and especially to the CEO Mr. Minas Papadakis and his associates and partners for their efforts.   The Secretary of the Aegean Sea and Insular Policy Mr. Koutoulakis thanked also all tourism partners and expressed his optimism for a very good tourism season and attributed the cruise tourism development to the overall and organized efforts of OLH SA administration.   The event host, OLH’s CEO Mr. Minas Papadakis after welcoming the Minister of Tourism and the Secretary of the Aegean and Insular Policy, stated that the Port of Heraklion is one of the main cruise ports of the country, both as homeport and transit port with this cruise season expected to be double both in calls and cruise passengers terms. Cruise business considered by OLH’s management one of the main pillars of development that contributes significant economic and social benefits both locally and nationally.   Furthermore, CEO Mr. Minas Papadakis, referred to the current social concerns, emphasized on sustainable development and the green transition that will lead to zero greenhouse gas emissions. In both directions, important initiatives and a specific action plan are taken by OLH, mainly with the planning of shore power supply to the docked vessels in Heraklion Port. Also, he focused on one of the city’s most emblematic tourist sites, the Venetian Castle of Koule and the implementation of the architectural lighting where all the necessary approvals have been obtained from the Ministry of Culture, while the financing of the project has been approved by the Ministry of Mercantile Marine and Insular and Policy.   The event was concluded by the CEO of TUI Cruises Mr. Wybcke Meier, who stated that the Heraklion Port as homeport considered as the first choice for visitors to the Mediterranean Sea and the most important destination for TUI Group in SE Med.   Common place of all speeches is focused on the optimistic messages for the tourism and cruise season and especially for the Heraklion Port homeporting which is expected to be doubled from the past year. This result was granted as result from the immediate and safe last year’s cruise restart, proving the importance of Heraklion Port, due to its excellent port services, the support it offered during the pandemic to cruise lines and obviously its strategic location. With no doubt, Heraklion Port considered again as one of the best cruise and multipurposed ports in the Mediterranean and Europe as well, contributing to the Greek tourism development in general.     

05
April 2022
Heraklion

ΟΛΗ: Το Λιμάνι του Ηρακλείου ως Home Port αναδεικνύεται ξανά σε ένα από τα καλύτερα Λιμάνια της Μεσογείου

H έναρξη της σεζόν της Kρουαζιέρας στo Ηράκλειο ανακοινώθηκε επισήμως από τον υπουργό Τουρισμού, Βασίλη Κικίλια για την νέα τουριστική περίοδο του 2022.    Συγκεκριμένα την Κυριακή 3 Απριλίου ο Οργανισμός Λιμένος Ηρακλείου διοργάνωσε ειδική εκδήλωση επί του κρουαζιερόπλοιου Mein Schiff 5, της TUI Cruises,   ελλιμενισμένο στον προβλήτα V του Λιμένος Ηρακλείου, στο οποίο  παρευρέθησαν ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Κρήτης κ. Ευγένιος, ο Υπουργός Τουρισμού κ. Κικίλιας, ο Γενικός Γραμματέας Αιγαίου και Νησιωτικής Πολιτικής κ. Κουτουλάκης, ο Γενικός Διευθυντής ΕΛΙΜΕ κ. Ιατρίδης, ο Βουλευτής Ηρακλείου κ. Σενετάκης, ο Περιφερειάρχης Κρήτης κ. Αρναουτάκης, ο Δήμαρχος Ηρακλείου κ. Λαμπρινός, ο Κεντρικός Λιμενάρχης Ηρακλείου κ. Δουβής, εκπρόσωποι της Α και Β Τοπικής Αυτοδιοίκησης καθώς και εκπρόσωποι Φορέων και Οργανισμών. Σημαντικές επίσης παρουσίες ήταν  από την MEDcruise η Πρόεδρος κ.  Ayan Figen, η Γενική Γραμματέας κ. Αιμιλία Παπαχρήστου και η εκπρόσωπος της CLIA στην Ελλάδα κ. Μαρία Δεληγιάννη.    Η εκδήλωση με σημασιολογικό χαρακτήρα, ως εναρκτήριας homeport σεζόν,  πραγματοποιήθηκε  με την ευγενική συνεργασία της TUICruises, στο πλαίσιο καλωσορίσματος του κρουαζιερόπλοιου Mein Schiff 5, που επέλεξε για δεύτερη συνεχόμενη χρονιά το λιμάνι Ηρακλείου ως homeport για την Μεσόγειο. Το Mein Schiff 5 θα πραγματοποιεί κυκλικά δρομολόγια  από το Ηράκλειο προς το Αιγαίο και εναλλακτικά προς το Ιόνιο σε 7 ημέρες κρουαζιέρες.   Με φόντο την εκκίνηση της κρουαζιέρας ο Καπετάνιος του κρουαζιερόπλοιου κ.  Γιώργος Δήμου   καλωσόρισε τους επίσημους προσκεκλημένους και έδωσε τον λόγο στον Υπουργό Τουρισμού κ. Κικίλια ο οποίος αναφέρθηκε με τα πλέον αισιόδοξα μηνύματα για τον Τουρισμό χαρακτηρίζοντας την Κρήτη  ως «Ναυαρχίδα του Τουρισμού» και επεσήμανε την σπουδαιότητα του Λιμένος Ηρακλείου για την συμβολή του στην ανάπτυξη της Κρουαζιέρας δίνοντας τα εύσημα στην Διοίκηση του ΟΛΗ και ειδικά στον Διευθύνοντα Σύμβουλο κ. Μηνά Παπαδάκη για την προσπάθεια που καταβάλλει με τους συνεργάτες του και τους υπηρεσιακούς παράγοντες.    Ο Γενικός Γραμματέας Αιγαίου και Νησιωτικής Πολιτικής κ. Κουτουλάκης  ευχαρίστησε τους ανθρώπους του Τουρισμού και εξέφρασε την αισιοδοξία του για μια πολύ δυνατή σεζόν και απέδωσε το τουριστικό ρεύμα στην συνολική και οργανωμένη προσπάθεια της Διοίκησης του ΟΛΗ.    Από την πλευρά του ο Διευθύνων Σύμβουλος του ΟΛΗ κ. Μηνάς Παπαδάκης αφού καλωσόρισε τον Υπουργό Τουρισμού και τον Γενικό Γραμματέα Αιγαίου και Νησιωτικής Πολιτικής, αναφέρθηκε ότι το Λιμάνι του Ηρακλείου αποτελεί ένα από τα βασικά λιμάνια κρουαζιέρας της χώρας μας, τόσο ως λιμάνι αφετηρίας όσο και ως λιμάνι διέλευσης με την φετινή σεζόν να αναμένεται διπλασιασμός τόσο σε επίπεδο προσεγγίσεων όσο και σε επίπεδο επιβατών. Η Διοίκηση του ΟΛΗ θεωρεί την Κρουαζιέρα έναν από τους βασικότερους πυλώνες ανάπτυξης που συνεισφέρει σημαντικά οικονομικά και κοινωνικά οφέλη τόσο σε τοπικό όσο και σε εθνικό επίπεδο.    Ιδιαίτερη υπήρξε η αναφορά από τον Διευθύνοντα Σύμβουλο κ. Μηνά Παπαδάκη, στους σύγχρονους κοινωνικούς προβληματισμούς με έμφαση στην βιώσιμη ανάπτυξη και την πράσινη μετάβαση που θα οδηγήσει με μηδενικές εκπομπές αερίων θερμοκηπίου. Και στις δύο κατευθύνσεις λαμβάνονται σημαντικές πρωτοβουλίες και δράσεις από τον ΟΛΗ με κυριότερη τον σχεδιασμό και την παροχή ηλεκτροδότησης στα ελλιμενιζόμενα πλοία στο Λιμάνι του Ηρακλείου. Σημαντική υπήρξε επίσης η αναφορά για την υλοποίηση του αρχιτεκτονικού φωτισμού του Ενετικού Κάστρου του Κούλε, όπου έχουν ληφθεί όλες οι  απαραίτητες εγκρίσεις από το Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού, ενώ η χρηματοδότηση του έργου έχει εγκριθεί από το Υπουργείο Ναυτιλίας και Νησιωτικής Πολιτικής.    Την εκδήλωση έκλεισε η CEO της εταιρείας TUI Cruises κ. Wybcke Meier, η οποία αναφέρθηκε ότι το Λιμάνι του Ηρακλείου ως Home Port αποτελεί την πρώτη επιλογή για τους επισκέπτες στην Μεσόγειο και τον πιο σημαντικό προορισμό για την ΤUI.                                    Κοινή διαπίστωση από τις αναφορές των επίσημων ομιλητών είναι ότι διαμορφώθηκαν αισιόδοξα μηνύματα για την φετινή τουριστική σεζόν με το Λιμάνι του Ηρακλείου ως homeport να έχει μεγάλη ζήτηση πολλαπλάσια από προηγούμενες χρονιές. Είναι γεγονός ότι η  άμεση και ταχεία επανεκκίνηση της κρουαζιέρας αποδεικνύει τη δυναμική του Λιμένος Ηρακλείου λόγω των υψηλών παρεχόμενων υπηρεσιών του, της υποστήριξης που προσέφερε κατά τη διάρκεια της πανδημίας στις εταιρείες κρουαζιέρας όσο προφανώς και της μοναδικής κομβικής θέσης του. Είναι βέβαιο ότι το Λιμάνι του Ηρακλείου αναδεικνύεται  ξανά σε ένα από τα καλύτερα λιμάνια της Μεσογείου και της Ευρώπης και θα ενισχύσει περαιτέρω τη θέση της τουριστικής βιομηχανίας της Ελλάδας στην Ευρώπη.   

28
January 2022

Cruise statistics for Greek ports 2021

Table depicting total figures of Greek Cruise (calls and passengers per port) for the years 2021, 2020 and 2019.    

17
January 2022

Rebound for Greek cruise industry

Despite the third and fourth waves of the coronavirus pandemic that hit the tourism industry last year, the Greek cruise market managed to recover about a quarter of passenger traffic observed in the record year 2019, with about half the number of cruise liner visits to its ports compared to two years earlier, according to data published by the Hellenic Ports Association (ELIME) on Tuesday. Following a year of minimal activity, with just 210 port calls by cruise ships and 67,528 passengers in 2020, the industry in Greece staged a significant recovery in 2021, with 1,957 cruise vessel port calls around Greece and 1,316,662 passenger arrivals, not including the data from the last quarter of the year at Greece’s biggest port, Piraeus, which will be released later. When the Piraeus data for the October-December period is factored in, ELIME estimates the sum of passengers will likely exceed 1.4 million across Greece – i.e. over 25% of the 5.5 million recorded in the last pre-pandemic year – and port calls will top 2,000, which would be more than half of the 3,979 registered in 2019. The disparity in the recovery rates is due to the safety measures that called for smaller capacities. The Greek ports with the most calls last year were Piraeus, Mykonos, Corfu, Rhodes, Santorini, Katakolo and Iraklio, in that order, while the highest number of passengers was recorded in Piraeus, Corfu, Mykonos, Rhodes, Katakolo, Iraklio and Santorini. ELIME further noted that prospects for 2022 are positive for the cruise sector in Greece, “based on the increase in bookings recorded, the possibility of extending the tourism season through new agreements, and the strengthening of homeporting at Greek ports, with companies in the sector moving in that direction.” It added that these forecasts take for granted “the swift and efficient tackling of the expansion of the Omicron variant and the further containment of the pandemic.” The port association stressed that “cruise companies and ports take all necessary measures based on Greece’s health protocols so that passengers enjoy the highest possible degree of security in cruise tourism, a sector considerably damaged by the pandemic.” Πηγή: https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1175829/rebound-for-greek-cruise-industry/

24
November 2021
Heraklion

Norwegian Gateway becomes the 110th cruise ship calling the Port of Heraklion this year

Norwegian Gateway, docked in the morning hours of November 17th at the Port of Heraklion.   She was 110th cruise ship that called  our port during the 2021 cruise season.   Norwegian Getaway (built in 2015, with an overall length of 325.70 meters and a 4,600 passenger capacity), called for the first time the Port of Heraklion, en route from Limassol, carrying 1,721 passengers and 1,570 crew onboard.   The CEO of Heraklion Port Authority Mr. Minas Papadakis paid a ceremonial visit during the ship’s stay in Heraklion; he was welcomed onboard by the Greek master of the vessel Cpt. Konstantinos Gokas.   Mr. Minas Papadakis, exchanged with Captain Gokas the traditional commemorative plaques, stating: “We are really excited to welcome in our port another Norwegian Cruise Lines vessel, this time Norwegian Gateway, that follows Norwegian Jade’ 18 consecutive calls during the 2021 cruise season.   Norwegian Cruise Lines is considered being one of the pioneers in the cruise industry. We have worked closely with the NCL team to ensure the safe cruise resumption for travelers and crew and we are delighted to finally celebrate together, the come back of the cruise industry and especially NCL in the area.   The continuous selection of Heraklion by Norwegian Cruise Lines confirms that our port is not only one of the most popular cruise ports in the East Med, but also one of the safest tourism destinations for travelers.   Our continuous efforts for improving and upgrading our port services, is considered by cruise industry leaders the best proof that Heraklion will continue being an important cruise destination in the near future, offering cruise ship visitors a complete, experiential, personalized travel experience”.  

24
November 2021
Heraklion

OLH S.A The Ambassador of Italy to Greece Mrs. Patrizia Falcinelli visited the Port of Heraklion and Heraklion Port Authority

The Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Greece, Mrs. Patrizia Falcinelli, paid on Monday, November 15, 2021, an official visit to the Port and the Port Authority of Heraklion, Crete. She was accompanied by the Military Attaché of the Italian Embassy in Greece Mr. Efrem Moioli, the First Secretary of the Italian Embassy, Mr. Alessandro Tutino and by the Honorary Deputy Consul of Italy in Heraklion Mr. Paolo Bartollozzi.   On the occasion of the Italian Delegation visit in Heraklion, an official reception was held onboard the Italian Coast Guard vessel BRUNO GREGORETTI, which was moored alongside pier IV-V.   The Greek Deputy Minister of Sports Mr. Lefteris Avgenakis, the MP of Greek Parliament for Heraklion Mr. Georgios Logiadis, the Deputy Regional Governor of Heraklion Mr. Nikos Syrigonakis, the President of the Chamber of Heraklion Mr. Manolis Aliferakis, the CEO of Heraklion Port Authority Mr. Minas Papadakis and its President Mr. Ioannis Vardavas, as well as representatives of the Authorities of Heraklion, boarded the ship, where according to the protocol, they were welcomed by Captain Claudio Manganello, the Ambassador of Italy Mr. Patrizia Falcinelli, the Admiral Giuseppe Aulicino, as well as the Honorary Consul of Italy in Heraklion Mr. Paolo Bartolozzi.   Representatives of the two countries stressed during their short greetings the strong bonds between Greece and Italy, reconfirming the excellent cooperation between the two countries.   During a short presentation of the Italian Coast Guard, attendees of this event had the opportunity to learn more about the Italian Coast Guard tasks and continuous efforts to fight against illegal fishing in the Mediterranean.   This is essentially the first visit to Heraklion by an Italian Embassy delegation after the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic; our esteemed high-ranked Italian guests confirmed that they have been visiting a safe holiday destination.   This shared belief was reinforced during the official visit of the Italian Ambassador in the areas of Heraklion Cruise Passenger Terminal and the various port facilities.   The CEO of Heraklion Port Authority Mr. Minas Papadakis presented in the Headquarters of HPO to the delegation of the Italian Embassy the diverse activities of the Port of Heraklion, with special emphasis in the strong diplomatic relations between the two countries since 1861 and the strong ties of the Roman and the Greek civilizations (having strong reference points in the various Venetian Monuments of Heraklion).   “The strong and successful relations between our two countries in the areas of tourism, business and trade, which are considered being the main rconomic pillars of each country, reflect cooperation possibilities, that will emerge in the near future in areas of common interest”, said Mr. Minas Papadakis.   The discussion included very interesting topics related with the current discussion re. climate change, where Italy is considered being a trendsetter within EU, declaring as its primary target a 60% reduction of current CO2 emissions and the creation of a new Ministry, responsible for the transition in the Green Economy.   The presentation was wrapped up with updated statistical data, concerning the contribution of Cruise, Coastal Shipping and Commercial activities in the business outlook of the Port of Heraklion.   The Ambassador of Italy Mrs. Patrizia Falcinelli, thanked the Greek representatives for their great hospitality, repeating the strong commitment of both countries to environmental issues and the new energy era, while new opportunities for cooperation and investments open up for both Greek and Italian companies.  

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