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CLIA meetings with G. Plakiotakis and V. Kikilias

The International Association of Cruise Companies (CLIA) for Europe, praised Greece for its leading role in the resumption of cruising in 2021 and presented the priorities of the industry for 2022, during meetings with Greek Tourism Ministers Vassilis Kikilias and Shipping and Island Policy Giannis Plakiotakis that took place this week in Athens.

The evaluation of this season, the preparation for the 2022 season and the implementation of the recently revised Greek cruise protocol, the smooth operation of the ports in combination with responsible tourism practices as well as the decarbonisation of the industry, are among the priorities discussed.

The meetings, which took place during the first visit to Greece of the new CLIA Director General for Europe, Marie-Caroline Laurent, were an opportunity to reaffirm the fruitful cooperation between CLIA and the Greek Government, which led to a successful, secure resumption of cruising in the area.

As Marie-Caroline Laurent pointed out during the talks, “Greece’s support for the cruise during this period created the right conditions to strengthen both the country’s position on the world cruise map and the industry’s contribution to the Greek We will continue to work with the Greek Government to assist in harnessing this potential in the country, including the strengthening of port infrastructure for the further development of homeporting, the smooth operation of ports and the careful planning and management of both developed as well as emerging destinations “.

He stressed that “Greece set the example of the effective implementation of protocols for the safe enjoyment of cruise travel. We are grateful for our cooperation with the two ministries and we particularly appreciate that the cruise is high in their priorities.”

For her part, Maria Deligianni, CLIA Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, added: “Greece played a key role in the resumption of the cruise, as it was one of the first countries in the world to accept cruise ships, thus giving its people the opportunity again. The cruises started from the first day that tourism opened in Greece on May 14 and will extend until the end of December.By the end of the year we estimate that we will reach 50% of the cruise ship visits we had in 2019 “We are even more optimistic about 2022 and ready to start again in early March.”

Globally, the resumption of the 2021 cruise was a gradual effort that prioritized safety: from 16% of CLIA fleet operating in June to 56% in September, by the end of the year it is projected to be in operation 80%. More than 3 million passengers have traveled safely since last summer on cruises around the world, proving the effectiveness of the protocols.

CLIA has pledged to work with the Greek government to improve port operations and tourism practices in popular Greek destinations.

Maria Deligianni stressed: “A holistic approach is needed to better manage tourist flows in a country like Greece, which receives 33 million tourists each year who travel by air, road and ferry, as well as cruises worth 5 million “We are committed to providing research-level support to identify real challenges and work for effective solutions.”

Ms. Laurent, for her part, also expressed her appreciation for the support shown by the Greek naval nation to the maritime community regarding the green transition to maritime transport, stating: “The availability and access to alternative marine fuels is crucial for our vision, for zero-carbon cruises by 2050. The cruise industry is at the forefront of supporting the development of green maritime technology and we welcome the proposal of the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the President of the European Commission von der Leyen “We hope that it will receive the necessary support from the EU as a project to help achieve the objectives of the Green Agreement.”

CLIA also welcomed the memorandum of cooperation signed between Greece and Turkey last week in the field of tourism, including cruising, stressing the importance of cooperation between neighboring countries to strengthen the cruise, while thanking the Greek government for the resumption of Cruise routes connecting Greek destinations with the Turkish ports of Galata in Istanbul and Kusadasi.

This week’s meetings followed a meeting in June between CLIA World President and MSC Cruises CEO Pierfrancesco Vago and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Maximos Palace.

Marie-Caroline Laurent expressed CLIA’s willingness to continue working closely with the Greek government to make a positive contribution to the economic recovery, with a dynamic start to the 2022 cruise building on the success of this season.

Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ

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Source From: Capital

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