Thessaloniki: Cruise Tourism Success a Result of Fruitful Partnerships

A cruise ship at the Port of Thessaloniki. Photo source: Posidonia Exhibitions

Building successful partnerships among key stakeholders in Thessaloniki helped place the Greek destination on the world cruise map, according to the head of the city’s tourism organization, Voula Patoulidou.

Speaking during the recent 7th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum, which was held for the first time in Thessaloniki, Patoulidou highlighted the significance of developing cruise tourism in the Greek northern city.

“This is the result of the excellent cooperation of all the city’s bodies: the Region of Central Macedonia, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the Thessaloniki Tourism Organization and the ThPA SA – Port of Thessaloniki,” she said, adding that the city’s role as host destination to the Posidonia Forum is a great moment for Northern Greece.

ThPA SA – Port of Thessaloniki Chief Commercial Officer & Director of Strategic Communications Theodora Riga, Thessaloniki Tourism Organization President Voula Patoulidou, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Global Chair Pierfrancesco Vago, Central Macedonia Governor Apostolos Tzitzikostas and Central Macedonia Vice Governor for Tourism Alexandros Thanos. Photo source: Thessaloniki Tourism Organization

“This is a port that is in very close distance to the city and its center, which is scattered with historical monuments… It is unique to disembark from the cruise ship in a city with 15 UNESCO monuments, with the farthest one just a half hour away,” she said.

Moreover, Patoulidou said the development of cruise tourism in Thessaloniki “opened” an additional gate for inbound tourism from the neighboring Balkan countries thus boosting further the port city’s reputation as a tourism destination.

Study: Benefits of cruise tourism for Thessaloniki

An important moment of the forum was the presentation of the preliminary results of a study carried out by the University of Piraeus and commissioned by the ThPA S.A. – Port of Thessaloniki and the Thessaloniki Tourism Organization.

“The first findings are particularly interesting… When the study is completed we will have data that will contribute to making the destination even more attractive to cruise companies and passengers,” Patoulidou said.

Piraeus University Professor Thanos Pallis presenting the “Assessment of the Socio-Economic Impact of the Cruise for Thessaloniki” during the 7th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum (PSTF).

Among the most important findings of the research are the satisfaction levels of cruise passengers who visit Thessaloniki. As reflected in the study, 90.1 percent of visiting passengers stated that it is quite likely for them to recommend Thessaloniki as a tourism destination.

The final results of the study, which aims to contribute to a better understanding of the benefits of cruising for the local community of Thessaloniki, are expected to be released in October this year.

“Thessaloniki as a cruise destination offers benefits to the port itself, the city and the wider area of Thessaloniki, but also to nearby areas of Central Macedonia,” Patoulidou said, adding that the benefits concern income, employment and jobs, direct and indirect, but also the international promotion of Thessaloniki and the wider region, in the tourism sector.

“The cooperation of all of us has a common direction. To make the destination more attractive to cruise companies and passengers.”

Thessaloniki Mayor Konstantinos Zervas, Thessaloniki Tourism Organization Deputy President Maria Karagianni, Secretary General for Tourism Policy and Development Olympia Anastasopoulou and Thessaloniki Tourism Organization President Voula Patoulidou. Photo source: Thessaloniki Tourism Organization

On the first day of the 7th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum, Patoulidou hosted a lunch for the official speakers of the event including Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Global Chair Pierfrancesco Vago, MedCruise President Figen Ayan and Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) SA Chairman Yu Zenggang.

Held by Posidonia Exhibitions S.A., the 7th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum welcomed over 400 delegates from the global cruise industry during April 25-26 at the Makedonia Palace hotel in Thessaloniki. The Thessaloniki Tourism Organization was among the main sponsors of the 7th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum.

The Greek Travel Pages (GTP) was a media sponsor for the event.