Piraeus Port Investments, Upgrades to Focus on Cruise Travel

Boosting investments and upgrading port infrastructure to facilitate incoming cruise tourism topped the agenda of talks between the Piraeus Port Authority and the municipality this week.

Issues discussed included a network connecting the port to major Piraeus landmarks, sites and businesses so that tourists can upon arrival to the port gain immediate access.

Piraeus port CEO Captain Fu Chengqiu and the city’s Mayor Yannis Moralis together with representatives from both sides agreed to draw up plans which will meet the requirements of both parties and collaborate towards their implementation.

Cosco Shipping has already announced plans to invest more in cruise infrastructure as of 2017 with the aim of doubling the 1.1 million tourists it currently handles to 3 million.

“It is commonly understood that the interests of the port and of the city are common. We want to know what the new managers are planning for the development of the port and at the same time for them to know what is being planned by the municipal authority. The development of Piraeus can only be  materialised through a common vision of the port and the city,’’ Mayor Moralis said, adding that both sides agreed to hold regular meetings in order to keep up to date.

Besides plans to transform Piraeus into the Mediterranean’s leading cruise ship hub bringing in investments and increasing the number of jobs, the Chinese conglomerate also has plans to make Piraeus into one of the world’s 30 largest container ports.