A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed on Tuesday in Thessaloniki between the Hellenic Ports Association and the Union of Cruise Ship Owners and Shipping Agencies. The Memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the International Exhibition "The Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum", by Mr. Thanos Liagos, president of Union of Ports of Greece and executive chairman & managing director of the Thessaloniki Port Authority SA and Mr. Giorgos Koumbenas, chairman of the board of directors of Association of Short Shippers-EEKFN.

The decarbonization of shipping creates a new landscape and new requirements in the electricity market, as the quantities of electricity required to power ships are enormous. It is typical that the energy needs of a large cruise ship are comparable to those of a small town, which means that supplying them from land requires large-scale investment in generation, networks and port infrastructure.

Two facts strike cruise industry pundits at this time: the rise in demand for cruises in the Eastern Mediterranean and the large number of ships seeking to make a Greek port of departure.
On a global level, the general image of the cruise industry at the moment is undoubtedly very positive and sends optimistic messages for the future, the president of the Union of Cruise Ship Owners and Shipping Agencies, Giorgos Koumbenas, told NEA newspaper.