{"id":14141,"date":"2024-09-18T13:04:21","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T10:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sokee.gr\/%cf%84%ce%bf-%ce%b7%cf%81%ce%ac%ce%ba%ce%bb%ce%b5%ce%b9%ce%bf-%ce%b8%ce%b1-%cf%86%ce%b9%ce%bb%ce%bf%ce%be%ce%b5%ce%bd%ce%ae%cf%83%ce%b5%ce%b9-%cf%84%ce%bf%ce%bd-%ce%bc%ce%ac%ce%b9%ce%bf-%cf%84%ce%bf\/"},"modified":"2024-09-18T13:15:29","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T10:15:29","slug":"%cf%84%ce%bf-%ce%b7%cf%81%ce%ac%ce%ba%ce%bb%ce%b5%ce%b9%ce%bf-%ce%b8%ce%b1-%cf%86%ce%b9%ce%bb%ce%bf%ce%be%ce%b5%ce%bd%ce%ae%cf%83%ce%b5%ce%b9-%cf%84%ce%bf%ce%bd-%ce%bc%ce%ac%ce%b9%ce%bf-%cf%84%ce%bf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sokee.gr\/en\/%cf%84%ce%bf-%ce%b7%cf%81%ce%ac%ce%ba%ce%bb%ce%b5%ce%b9%ce%bf-%ce%b8%ce%b1-%cf%86%ce%b9%ce%bb%ce%bf%ce%be%ce%b5%ce%bd%ce%ae%cf%83%ce%b5%ce%b9-%cf%84%ce%bf%ce%bd-%ce%bc%ce%ac%ce%b9%ce%bf-%cf%84%ce%bf\/","title":{"rendered":"Heraklion to Host 8th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum in May 2025, Marking a First for Greece’s Largest Island"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Leading Cruise Industry Event to Address Over-Tourism and Explore New Mediterranean Destinations, with Global Industry Leaders Set to Convene in Crete<\/strong>


The city of Heraklion will host the 8th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum next May, as the organizers of the East Med\u2019s most important cruise conference, with the support of the Region of Crete and the Heraklion Port Authority and in collaboration with local authorities, prepare to bring this CONFEX event to the country\u2019s largest island for the first time.


2025\u2019s Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum (PSTF) will be held at the Creta Maris Resort Hotel, located in close proximity to Crete\u2019s capital. Heraklion port is expected to see a 20% increase in cruise passenger numbers this year with an equally busy season expected in 2025.


With Piraeus, Santorini and Mykonos accounting for nearly 60% of all cruise activity in Greece, and many destinations in the Mediterranean calling for and some already adopting measures to limit over-tourism in popular destinations, the PSTF 2025\u2019s theme, \u201cThe Med: A Compelling Need for New Marquee Ports & Destinations\u201d couldn\u2019t be more topical. The event will bring global cruise industry decision-makers and industry organizations like Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and MedCruise, in touch with East Med\u2019s stakeholders, to explore solutions and create new exciting itineraries going forward.

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Alleviating pressure on overcrowded ports of call, exploring the potential of lesser-known and visited destinations for inclusion in cruise itineraries, and fostering dialogue on sustainable tourism practices are among the key themes to be tabled at the Forum and discussed with cruise executives who have extensive knowledge and operational knowhow of the Mediterranean.


\u201cTopics to be discussed during the two-day conference will include sustainability, marketing and tourism product delivery, guest immersion and satisfaction, overcrowding, new destination entries, port infrastructure, green initiatives and solutions, effective berth allocation solutions, and daily caps on arrivals,\u201d said Theodore Vokos, Managing Director of Posidonia Exhibitions S.A.<\/strong>


In parallel to the thought-provoking panel discussions, the exhibition will feature and promote new and emerging cruise destinations, ports and related infrastructure, cruise companies, travel agencies, tourism consultants and cruise ship suppliers amongst others. The event\u2019s exhibition floor will serve as the platform for the region\u2019s destinations and stakeholders to meet with itinerary and excursion planners, while new port investments and other infrastructure projects, such as the new Heraklion Airport, currently in full swing will be showcased to the cruise industry.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Vokos added:<\/strong> \u201cAt the Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum, cruise executives and key stakeholders will have the opportunity to examine ways to secure a sustainable future for ultra-popular destinations, as well as seek a cooperative approach towards introducing cruise passengers to new or emerging ports of call with marquee potential.\u201d


The Regional Governor of Crete, Stavros Arnaoutakis said:<\/strong> \u201cThe Region of Crete actively supports the Posidonia Tourism Sea Forum for the cruise sector, which will be held for the first time in Crete. The presence of numerous cruise lines, specialized tourism agencies and organizations from around the world at the Forum poses a significant opportunity for the continued growth of cruising on the island, which will contribute to reducing seasonality and enhancing Crete’s tourism products. It also showcases the island’s rich historical, cultural, and environmental assets to visitors from across the globe.


It is with great joy and high expectations that we are preparing to host the forum, organized by the organizers of Posidonia, the most important maritime exhibition in the world. The selection of Heraklion was made in the context of the strategic choice of the Region of Crete for a strong, extrovert, sustainable and competitive tourism sector in Crete.\u201d

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Welcoming the selection of Heraklion for the 2025 Forum, Minas Papadakis, CEO, Heraklion Port Authority, Diamond sponsor of the event, noted:<\/strong> \u201cWe are excited to announce that the Heraklion Port Authority, with the support of the Prefecture of Crete, will be hosting the 8th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum 2025 in Heraklion. As we prepare for this prestigious event, we look forward to showcasing our port\u2019s strategic capabilities and our commitment to sustainability and maritime innovation. The forum will offer a unique platform for fostering global partnerships and engaging in forward-thinking discussions that will shape the future of sea tourism. We look forward to welcoming the cruise industry to Heraklion to an event filled with valuable insights and collaboration.\u201d

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Significantly important for any port city is the economic impact of cruise activity for the local economy. One such port is Heraklion, where the direct economic impact of the cruising sector brought in \u20ac36.05 million to the local economy in the 12-month period ending May 2024, according to a University of Piraeus study.


According to the same study, 72% of cruise passengers who visited Heraklion would recommend it to friends and relatives as a destination of choice for holidays, with 29.1% saying that they would themselves revisit the city as conventional tourists.
During the 13 years since the Forum\u2019s inception, Heraklion will become only the second city, outside Athens, to host the event following the successful 2023 event in Thessaloniki. Heraklion Port, its vibrant city and the Region of Crete are excited to welcome delegates and exhibitors to the May 6-7 Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum.


Sponsors for the 2025 PSTF include: Diamond sponsor – Heraklion Port Authority, Gold sponsor – ODAP (Hellenic Organisation of Cultural Resources Development), Bronze sponsor – Kyvernitis Travel Group, Sponsor \u2013 Thessaloniki Port Authority and is organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy and the Ministry of Tourism, and is supported by the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports (MedCruise) and the Union of Cruise Ship Owners & Associated Members of Greece.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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For more information:

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Artemis Vamvakopoulou, Posidonia Press Officer, EXTROVERT | Business Communications | Tel.: +30 210 6724265, Email: posidoniapress@extrovert.gr<\/a>

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Maria Photou, Marketing & Events Coordinator, Posidonia Exhibitions \u0391.\u0395. | Tel.: +30 210 4283608, Email: mphotou@posidonia-events.com<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Leading Cruise Industry Event to Address Over-Tourism and Explore New Mediterranean Destinations, with Global Industry Leaders Set to Convene in Crete<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":14123,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-160"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sokee.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sokee.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sokee.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sokee.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sokee.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sokee.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14141\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sokee.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sokee.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sokee.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sokee.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}