Addressing the recent 4th international tourism fair, as reported by gtp headlines, a service by Greek Travel Pages, Achladitis stressed the need to restore the cruise industry's performance, with the top priority being modernising island ports so they can cater to larger vessels.
He said currently only the ports of Corfu and Piraeus can handle sizeable cruise ships.
‘If Greek ports do not upgrade, they will miss out as more companies are now adding larger cruise ships to their fleet and they will not include Greek destinations on their itineraries,’ he said.
Achladitis said the expansion of the tourism season was vital but it required the continental experience offered to cruise travelers when they disembark at ports. This, he said, ‘requires cooperation between cruise companies, local authorities and businesses.’
Achladitis reiterated the position of other cruise sector experts that a steady tax framework must be in place, and the bureaucratic hurdles overcome in order to attract private investment.
He concluded with the need to upgrade the infrastructure of Greek ports, including Piraeus, in view of the increasing use of LNG by several cruise ships under construction.
