The Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Vassilis Kikilias, and the Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni, had a joint meeting with the President and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Bud Darr, to discuss the cruise activity in Greece.
Kikilias stressed the importance of cruise as a development pillar for the Greek islands in the context of a sustainable tourism model.

Regarding cruise fees, he noted that the implementation of the measure is a governmental choice and is linked to the plan to support and upgrade critical port infrastructure on the islands.

They also agreed to have an exchange of views on the first implementation of the new cruise fee procedure and to set up a joint working group involving the ministries and CLIA to resolve issues related to cruises.

Kefalogianni, for her part, stressed that the main policy of the Ministry of Tourism is to boost tourism outside the high-demand period to support local communities and economies, as well as to promote Greece's natural and cultural wealth through the promotion of new destinations.

Referring to the cruise fee, she noted that this has been introduced with a view to the sustainable management of destinations, and it is reciprocal, as its revenue will be used to finance the cruise industry.