YES to Sea Tourism Forum Offers Graduates Chance at a Shipping Career

Christina Bezantakou, CEO, KEFI S.A; Danae Bezantakou, CEO Navigator Shipping Consultants and Concept Founder, YES Forum; Theodora I. Riga, Manager of Strategic Planning & Marketing, Piraeus Port Authority S.A; Minas Tsamopoulos, Journalist, Proto Thema; Kostis Achladitis, Managing Director, Golden Cargo and 2nd Vice President, PCCI.

This year’s YES to Sea Tourism Forum brought together company executives, policymakers, government officials and university professors who shared with young graduates insight into ways of securing a career in shipping and tourism.

Setting as a priority to put a stop to the crisis-bred brain drain which has deprived Greece of a promising young work force, Danae Bezantakou, concept-founder of YES Forum and CEO, said the goal of the annual forum is to encourage young people to stay and work in Greece, by providing insight into the ways this is possible and the reasons why it is worth doing so.

Capt. Paris Dragnis, Founder & President – Goldenport Group of Companies with Danae Bezantakou.

“The shipping and tourism industries are the two main pillars of the Greek economy on which they can depend, improve themselves, and make Greece proud internationally,” explained Bezantakou.

She urged young people to remain positive, to seek guidance which is readily  available through companies, executives and organizations active in shipping and sea tourism, and to remain committed to their goal.

Held on the sidelines of the Ρosidonia Sea Tourism Forum 2019 held last month, the YES Forum included the “YES to Schools” program, which introduces primary and secondary school students to the fields of shipping and tourism; the presentation 80 specialized areas of employment in shipping and maritime clusters; as well as affordable education, training and apprenticeship opportunities.

The YES forum also included the presentation by FocusBari of interesting findings on the views of young people and companies on job availability in maritime tourism.

Next year’s YES to Sea Tourism Forum is scheduled take place on June 5, during the Posidonia 2020.

The Greek Travel Pages (GTP) was media supporter of the YES to Sea Tourism Forum.

A part of the YES forum proceeds will be donated to the Syn-Enosis, Greek Shipowners Social Welfare Company, which supports social welfare programs and activities for vulnerable social groups and for public interest projects through the provision of humanitarian aid and charity.