Greece will open again six ports for cruises on Saturday, August 1, Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis said on Tuesday morning. Cruise ships will be allowed to dock at the ports of Piraeus, Rhodos, Iraklio, Volos, Corfu and Katakolo.
After their first docking, the ships will subsequently be able to visit any other Greek port on their itinerary.
The rules could be reviewed depending on current epidemiological data, Theocharis added.
He said cruise travel will abide with all the health and safety protocols set by the European Union (EU Healthy Gateways) due to coronavirus.
“Greece is the first country that responds to the cruise sector and introduces health protocols especially for this form of tourism,” he said.
Minister Theoharis called on cruise sector companies to relaunch operation procedures (homeporting) in Greece.
He also asked the big international cruise agencies to recommend Greece to their customers also beyond the summer season. “The current season extends until the end of the year,” he said.
He said that the first cruise ships are expected in the second half of August.
Speaking to state broadcaster ERT TV, Theoharis admitted that due to the pandemic things do not go as in the past and added that “Greece will return to tourism data of 2019 by the year 2024.”
