Almost a third of the world’s cruise liners will be operating in Greece this year, according to Cruise Lines International Association, whose representatives at Posidonia 2022 also lauded the Greek government’s commitment to the target for zero carbon emissions and the objective of alternative marine fuel development.

The upgrade of Greece’s role as a leading cruise destination is also confirmed by this year’s figures for the country, CLIA noted in a statement: Out of the 279 cruise ships of CLIA member companies worldwide, 87 will operate in Greece this year, of which 47 will homeport in the country. This is a trend that started in the midst of the pandemic, when Greece led the resumption of cruising, but continues with the same momentum, CLIA stressed.

“2022 is the year we return to pre-pandemic levels in terms of the number of cruise ships in operation, while in 2023 we expect to exceed 2019 passenger numbers,” said Maria Deligianni, CLIA’s national director in the Eastern Mediterranean. “Especially for Greece, we expect a significant increase in cruise ship calls from this year. A total of 25 different cruise companies will visit the country this year, more than ever before,” she stated.

Marie-Caroline Laurent, CLIA’s director general in Europe, attended Posidonia and met with leaders of the shipping industry, with discussions focusing on the green agenda.

“We were very happy to hear Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Maritime Affairs Minister Ioannis Plakiotakis supporting the sector’s transition to a new era of zero carbon emissions, but also highlighting the need for development and supply of alternative marine fuels as well as the development of adequate infrastructure, which are critical to our vision of net zero carbon cruising by 2050,” Laurent said.

“Of course, CLIA’s sustainability goals are broader than net-zero carbon emissions. Cruising is an integral part of sustainable tourism, especially in Greece, which is a top cruise destination, and we are committed to supporting further sustainable development of the sector. To achieve that we have teamed up with local and port authorities to assess the sustainability status of the municipalities of Corfu and Iraklio and to map out a plan for a future of sustainable tourism. And we extend this effort to other destinations in Greece, as it grows as a leading cruise destination,” she added.

This article was previously published at ekathimerini.com.