Cruise firms laud Greece for its safety

The cruise industry applauds Greece’s efforts to develop a tourism product capable of instilling a sense of trust and acting as a safe destination that is fully prepared to weather the consequences of the pandemic, according to Pierfrancesco Vago, CLIA global chairman and executive chairman of MSC Cruises.

“Greece is one of the countries to achieve early resumption of operations. Now more than ever, this feels like a time of renewal as the industry emerges from the dark winter of Covid,” he said during an address to some 500 delegates attending this year’s Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum via their computer screens from around the world.

“Challenges will remain, but we are building back better and can be optimistic now, as we have worked with governments, terminals and destinations to develop protocols for a safe and responsible return to service,” the Italian official told the online event that took place in Athens last week.

Already, more than 200,000 passengers have taken a cruise safely since the end of last summer, and this year the East Med is at the forefront with an early start that may help Greece become a permanent country of embarkation, according to Vago.