Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum 2019: Greece expects 7.5% rise in port calls this season

The 2019 Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum (PSTF) is ready to welcome senior executives of the global cruise and yachting sectors for two days of thought-provoking debates on the growth drivers and trends that are currently shaping the industry’s future in the East Med and Black Sea regions.

A wave of recent developments that are positively impacting on the growth of sea tourism in the East Med will be highlighted at a total of 11 panel discussions and workshops scheduled during the two days of the knowledge-exchange Forum. Among the main topics, the return of Turkish ports in major cruise line itineraries and the berth capacity increase in the East Med, including the return of Disney Cruise Line. These are some of the factors that are driving growth in the region, as evidenced by the expected 7.5% increase of calls in Greek ports this season, according to figures provided by the Union of Greek Cruise Ship Owners and Associated Members (EEKFN).

According to Theodore Vokos, Managing Director, Posidonia Exhibitions SA: “Greece’s growing status as a world class cruise destination is also among the topics to be discussed by some fifty experts from the international cruise and yachting sectors. They will be sharing their thoughts on a variety of issues, including the impending Greek port privatisations and the strategic benefits from the promising gradual stabilization of regional geopolitical hotspots.”

Other topics to be tabled during the Forum include the prospects of cruising in the East Med, partnerships between ships, ports and destinations for sustainable tourism, the region’s potential to offer year-round cruise products and the overall impact from the dramatic growth of mainstream cruise ship sizes.