Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum 2025: Cruise industry seeks new destinations

At a pivotal time for Mediterranean sea tourism, the Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum 2025 was held on 6 and 7 May in Heraklion, Crete, bringing together more than 200 top executives from the international cruise industry, policymakers, port authorities, and tourism industry experts. Entitled “Mediterranean: Urgent need for new popular ports and destinations”, the forum focused on the sustainable development of cruises, the challenges of the new era, and the opportunities that are emerging at the regional and European level.

Economic impact and sustainability

The cruise industry contributes almost 2 billion dollars annually to the Greek economy, while at the European level the total contribution exceeds 50 billion dollars. Despite its frequent association with overtourism, industry representatives stressed that cruise tourism represents only 2% of global tourism volumes and is therefore not the main factor of congestion in tourist areas.

At the opening session, greetings were delivered by Minas Papadakis, CEO of the Heraklion Port Authority, Anna Karamanli, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Stavros Arnaoutakis, Governor of Crete, and Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.

Mr. Tzitzikostas, in his keynote speech, presented the opportunities and challenges of the sector, stating that in 2024 alone, almost 5,500 cruise ship calls were made to Greece, bringing approximately 8 million passengers to the Greek coast. “Growth cannot be at the expense of sustainability,” he warned, adding that the new EU Ports Strategy, expected in 2025, will incorporate actions to enhance competitiveness, accelerate the energy transition, and improve the resilience of port infrastructure.

Changing traveler profiles and new demands

Particular emphasis was also placed on the changing profile of cruise travelers. According to data presented by the European Commissioner, interest in cruises among young people has increased by 55% in the last five years, while environmental awareness is also increasing, with concerns about the environmental footprint of cruising having increased by 32% in the same category of travelers.

The industry's position on overtourism

In the thematic session "Balancing Growth and Sustainability in Cruise Tourism in the Mediterranean", Julie Green, Deputy Director General of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), directly questioned the industry's connection to overtourism, arguing that the small market share and seasonality of arrivals are not sufficient to justify relevant charges. On the contrary, as he noted, the industry is systematically investing in new technologies and infrastructure, such as shore power for ships, exhaust gas cleaning systems, and new forms of fuel with low emissions.

Need to develop new destinations

A common theme in all interventions was the need to create new destinations and cruise ports in the Mediterranean, in order to reduce pressure on popular destinations such as Santorini, Mykonos, and Barcelona. This strategy is estimated to contribute to a better dispersion of visitors, the strengthening of smaller ports, and the sustainable development of local economies.

In this context, the port of Agios Nikolaos claims its place on the cruise map. The Mayor of Agios Nikolaos Manolis Menegakis, together with the President of the Municipal Port Fund Dimitris Agapitos and the Deputy Mayor for Culture, Tourism and Local Economic Development Manousos Pediaditis, together with the Cruise Advisor of the Municipal Port Fund Yiannis Bras, held contacts with top executives of the industry, as part of the effort to make the port a key destination in the ever-growing cruise industry.

Heraklion in the spotlight

The choice of Heraklion as the venue for the forum was not just a coincidence. The port of Heraklion is recording a steady upward trend in cruise ship arrivals and, as Mr. Papadakis mentioned, the goal is to further upgrade the infrastructure and services provided so that it becomes a homeporting hub for the SE Mediterranean.

The Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum 2025 made it clear that the cruise industry is at a crossroads. On the one hand, the opportunities for growth are significant, both through the expansion of the travel audience and the strengthening of new destinations. On the other hand, the pressure to adopt sustainable practices and the demand of travelers for environmental responsibility leave no room for complacency. The challenge is a balanced strategy that will simultaneously ensure economic growth, environmental protection, and social acceptance — goals that the industry seems to recognize and pursue.

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