As the 8th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum (PSTF) opens its doors in Iraklio next month, the spotlight is firmly on the Eastern Mediterranean, where the cruise industry faces multiple challenges that could potentially slow its growth. These range from concerns about overcrowding and its strain on the local environment and resources to port infrastructure deficiencies and geopolitical uncertainties.
Themed “The Med: A Compelling Need for New Marquee Ports and Destinations,” this year’s forum brings together key industry stakeholders, industry leaders and policy makers to explore these pressing issues and find solutions. Discussions will focus on strategies to overcome these challenges and sustain growth.
“The wider Eastern Mediterranean faces complex dynamics,” said George Koumpenas, president of the Hellenic Cruise Ship Owners and Associated Members’ Union (EEKFN). “The ongoing Gaza conflict and escalating security risks in the Red Sea have significantly contracted the cruise footprint across the region, echoing patterns last seen after the Arab Spring. Key markets such as Israel, Egypt, Cyprus and parts of southern Turkey are experiencing a notable downturn.”
Despite these pressures, Greece has demonstrated resilience, with strong recovery figures post-pandemic and promising forecasts: According to data from the Hellenic Ports Association (ELIME), Greece recorded 5,490 cruise ship calls in 2024, representing a total of 7,927,709 passenger visits – an increase of 260 calls and 924,559 passenger movements compared to the previous year. Homeporting activity continues its upward trend, with Piraeus leading the charge with 635 cruise turnarounds and over 1.1 million passengers, followed by Corfu, Iraklio, Lavrio and Thessaloniki.
But challenges to further growth remain. Although the region recovered quickly after the pandemic, Turkey has yet to reach previous heights as a dominant cruise magnet. With a potential reopening of cruising in the Black Sea nowhere in sight, coupled with Turkey’s slower recovery, the performance of Greek ports in the northern and eastern Aegean Sea has also been impacted.
The fact that these fast-changing dynamics and the disparity in the growth pattern between destinations in the same region make itinerary and vessel deployment planning even more complex will be among the topics debated at the forum, to be held on May 6-7.
