The event brought together representatives of the Greek government, members of the Hellenic Parliament, cruise industry executives and CLIA representatives to discuss the priorities of the cruise sector in Greece.
Key topics included the development of emerging cruise destinations, support for island communities, economic impact, sustainable tourism growth and the effective use of cruise fees for infrastructure and destination development.
Representatives from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy participated in the discussions, including Secretary General for Shipping and Ports Evangelos Kyriakopoulos, Secretary General for the Aegean and Island Policy Manolis Koutoulakis, and legal advisor to the Minister of Tourism, Elektra Papazachou.
Senior executives from Celestyal and MSC Cruises also attended the event.
A central outcome of the discussions was the shared priority of strengthening dialogue with cruise destinations and developing a Cruise Development Guide accompanied by a practical checklist to support the strategic development of emerging destinations.
CLIA also underlined the importance of close coordination between the cruise sector and national and local authorities to prioritise investments funded by cruise fees for port infrastructure, destination development and promotional initiatives.
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| Secretary General for Shipping and Ports Evangelos Kyriakopoulos (left) and Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Minister for Economic Diplomacy and Extroversion, Haris Theoharis. |
Deputy Minister for Economic Diplomacy and Extroversion, Haris Theoharis, said: “Cruising is one of the most dynamic sectors of maritime tourism, contributing substantially to the strengthening of local and regional economies, the creation of jobs and the promotion of Greece as an international tourism destination. Our objective is not simply to increase cruise activity, but to maximise the value it delivers: more benefits for the Greek economy, an upgraded visitor experience and meaningful support for local communities. Greece seeks a cruise model that leaves a strong footprint onshore – strengthening hotels, food services, transport, culture, local supply chains and employment — while contributing positively both to the economy and infrastructure development.”
Maria Deligianni, CLIA Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said: “We are pleased to continue our dialogue with the Greek government on shaping an effective cruise strategy. Our discussions highlighted the strategic importance and untapped potential of emerging cruise destinations in Greece. Redistributing traffic towards emerging ports will help generate economic benefits across more mainland and island destinations, while preserving the carrying capacity of popular destinations. In this context, we stressed the importance of conducting a study to assess the needs of emerging cruise destinations, as well as the importance of coordination in prioritising projects funded through cruise fee revenues.”
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| Maria Deligianni, CLIA Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. |
“For the future of cruising in Greece, we emphasised that predictability and stable communication are vital for cruise line planning.”
The discussions focused on the sustainable development of cruise tourism in emerging destinations, coordination among stakeholders in the cruise ecosystem, local dialogue with cruise ports and strengthening Greece’s position as a homeporting destination.
CLIA has already initiated local dialogues in 10 destinations through direct collaboration with municipalities and port authorities.
The event also highlighted findings from CLIA’s “State of the Cruise Industry Report 2026”, according to which 37.2 million passengers took a cruise in 2025.
The report states that Europe remains a key growth region, while the Mediterranean continues to be the most popular destination for European travellers, accounting for approximately 45% of the market.
Demand in Europe reached nearly nine million passengers, second only to the Caribbean, while almost 90% of passengers stated they intend to cruise again.
CLIA data also showed strong destination engagement among passengers, with 64% to 70% staying at least one night in port cities, 70% participating in shore excursions and around 60% returning to destinations they first visited through cruising.
The fleet of CLIA member cruise lines is expected to expand in 2026 with eight new ships, representing investments of US$6.6 billion.
The order book through 2037 includes more than 60 ships with a total value of US$71 billion, while 57% of ships currently on order are designed with multi-fuel capability.
In 2024, the cruise sector supported 445,000 jobs in Europe and contributed 64.1 billion euros to the European economy, including 28 billion euros in direct GDP contribution.
In CLIA, the total economic contribution of cruising reached 3.1 billion euros in 2024, compared to 1.4 billion euros in 2022 and 2 billion euros in 2023.
Direct GDP contribution increased to 1.5 billion euros in 2024 from 973 million euros in 2023, while total employment linked to the sector rose from 22,600 jobs in 2023 to 33,000 jobs in 2024.
