Cruise ship arrivals at Limassol port down, but prospects for recovery are excellent

The situation in Israel has had a negative impact on the arrivals of large cruise ships at the port of Limassol, but there is still a prospect for recovery and further development of the sector.

For this reason, an Inter-ministerial Committee has been established to coordinate the creation of a National Strategy in cooperation with all the agencies involved.

Cruise ship arrivals at the port of Limassol for 2024 were not fully realised due to the current geopolitical situation and of the 200 bookings that were initially made, the actual number of arrivals are expected to be around 90, since there were several cancellations due to the unstable situation in neighbouring Israel, but also in the Eastern Mediterranean, DP World Limassol informed the Limassol Chamber of Commerce publication 'Epiheirimatiki Lemeso.'

Optimism for a strong recovery

For 2025, DP World Limassol pointed out that so far more than 145 cruise arrivals have been booked for Limassol and said that it is in coordination with all the competent bodies for the necessary recovery actions and proper planning for the further development of the sector.

The Management Company of the Passenger Terminal at the port of Limassol emphasised that it remains optimistic for a strong recovery in 2025 and 2026, in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Hadjimanolis: Mapping the situation and developing an action plan

The Deputy Minister of Shipping, Marina Hadjimanolis, informed 'Epiheirimatiki Lemeso' that a;; those involved are examining how the sector can be further boosted, with the establishment of a National Strategy that will make Cyprus a destination for a longer period of the year and not only in the summer, given that our seas are not wild and cruises may continue for some months beyond the summer.

The Council of Ministers approved the proposal to establish a National Strategy for Cruise Tourism in Cyprus on 9 October.

Hadjimanolis explained that the goal is to first map the existing situation and then develop it, with an implementation schedule.

She added that by the end of February there will be a record of the Ports and Marinas in Cyprus as well as the possibilities that exist in terms of infrastructure.

The passenger boarding-disembarkation procedures will also be analysed, as well as security measures especially during disembarkation, while better ways and means will be sought for the movement of passengers, in order to upgrade the product offered today.

In a second stage with an implementation schedule until June 2025, a specific action plan will be drawn up.

The plan, according to the Deputy Minister, will include specific actions and initiatives such as the development and creation of a network (so that modern advertising media can also be utilised) and the production of promotional material. "We have an important Cultural Heritage in Cyprus and we must connect it to the cruise with specific actions," Hadjimanolis indicated.

Procedurally, it was decided by the Ministry for an Inter-Ministerial Committee to be set up with the participation of the Ministry of Transport, the Presidency of the Republic and the Deputy Ministries of Shipping and Tourism, with the Deputy Ministry of Shipping coordinating it.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee will approve the establishment of a committee composed of representatives of the parties involved, which in turn will prepare the National Strategy.

The Committee will work in coordination with the Cruise Development Committee of the Cyprus Chamber of Shipping and will be in contact with all agencies related to cruising.

The state agencies, as the Deputy Minister pointed out, are already aware of the opinions of the Cyprus Chamber of Shipping, which are considered to be of great importance and will prepare a "strategy that works and is not just on paper," as she said.

(Source: InBusinessNews)