Senior Executives of the Global cruise and yachting sectors are about to be hosted at 2019 Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum, in a thought-provoking debate concerning nowadays trends of tοurism Industry that will take place at the Domotel Kastri Conference Center at the end of May.
The event is going to host over 30 highly influential senior cruise executives responsible for ports and destinations from the world’s biggest cruise lines, including MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Holland America Group, Disney Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines and Celestyal Cruises among others.
Many of them will also participate at a meeting of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)European Ports and Destinations Advisory Committee, to be held at the Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum for the first time and engage with the region’s destination representatives on the exhibition floor and the event’s many networking opportunities.
The subjects are going to be discussed at a total of 11 panels 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.
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, will also be discussed.
In addition, at a workshop organized by the Hellenic Marine Equipment Manufacturers and Exporters (HEMEXPO), purchasing and technical managers from Royal Caribbean Cruises and Silversea Cruises will discuss the sector’s procurement procedures with Greek marine equipment manufacturers that are interested in becoming suppliers to the cruise industry.
The importance of developing the cruise market in Greece will be presented by MSC Cruises during the travel agent workshops taking place under the auspices of FedHATTA.
Theodoros Vokos, managing director of Posidonia Exhibition SA
As Theodoros Vokos, managing director of Posidonia Exhibition SA has stated “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.”
Yachting is also on the agenda once again with a focus on Marinas, the continuing process for successful privatisations, their special infrastructure, and legislative issues. Another highly significant topic to be broached is the state of the region’s yacht building, maintenance, and repair industry.
George Tziallas General Secretary for Tourism Policy and Development in the Greek Ministry of Tourism
The event is making an active contribution to the promotion of the sector’s career opportunities and employability potential for the new generation. The organisers Posidonia Exhibitions S.A. have once again teamed up with Young Executives Shipping (YES) Forum. In addition, at the Blue Growth event, young entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to present their business plans to attract investments for their start-ups. Blue Growth is an organisation that promotes business ideas relating to the local sea and aquatic resources through an environmental and economic approach.
The 5th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum is organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy and is supported by the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping, CLIA Europe, the Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports (MEDCRUISE), the Hellenic Professional Yacht Owners Association, the Greek Marinas Association, the Association of Passenger Shipping Companies, the Union of Cruise Ship Owners & Associated Members, the Federation of Hellenic Associations of Tourist and Travel Agencies (fedHATTA). Gold Sponsor is the Greek National Tourism Organisation. Silver sponsors are the Piraeus Port Authority, HEMEXPO and the Thessaloniki Port Authority and Bronze Sponsors are Air France – KLM, Aktina Travel Group, Celestyal Cruises, Global Ports Holding and IntercruisesShoreside and Port Services.
