Opportunities and prospects for boosting cruise tourism, but also increased interest from other companies, sees the Deputy Minister of Tourism, following the decision of Royal Caribbean to include Cyprus in its program for the months of June, July and August 2021.
Speaking to “F”, Savvas Perdios said that the benefit for our country from the decision of the largest cruise company in the world is important, since in fact the country is now on the map of the cruise. The decision, he added, lays a solid foundation for the development of cruise tourism and noted that there are discussions with other companies and efforts are being made to attract other major players in the sector. The benefit of the Royal Caribbean decision is already visible, said the Deputy Minister of Tourism, noting that the name of Cyprus was heard around the world as a cruise destination, due to the scope of this company. Mr. Perdios stated that the company's decision shows how important it is to have planning and reliability. He acknowledged that the agreement with Israel to host those vaccinated had intensified efforts and discussions with the Royal Caribbean, which had been in consultation for about six months.
He noted that Cyprus is one of the few countries in the world that reached such an agreement, reiterated that the name of Cyprus suddenly became known in the field as a cruise destination and expressed the appreciation that the agreement opens doors and prospects for the future. Both in terms of Royal Caribbean plans for the new year, as well as for other companies. Mr. Perdios stated that our country is getting further promotion since the specific program in which Cyprus joined will be executed by the most modern ship of the company. This is the Odyssey of the Seas, which is expected to be an attraction in itself when it reaches the port of Limassol.
They will leave money
As the Undersecretary clarified, during the ship station in Cyprus, the passengers will get off to go to the island, to rent cars if they want or to participate in organized guided tours. He also said that the Republic of Cyprus, despite the agreement with Israel, reserves the right to sample checks of visitors in ports. As announced by the State Department, the Royal Caribbean cruise program, in which Cyprus joined, includes departure from Israel, then stops in Cyprus and Greece and finally return to Israel. The ship is expected to approach Cyprus about 15 times, within the quarter June – August 2021, with the prospect of additional stops in the coming months, as part of the program that offers a combination of 3 to 7 night cruises. The passengers of the ship will be all Israelis, who have already been vaccinated. Additionally, travelers will take two negative tests before boarding.
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The benefit of the Royal Caribbean decision is already visible, said the Deputy Minister of Tourism, noting that the name of Cyprus was heard around the world as a cruise destination, due to the scope of this company.
Mr. Perdios stated that the company's decision shows how important it is to have planning and reliability. He acknowledged that the agreement with Israel to host those vaccinated had intensified efforts and discussions with the Royal Caribbean, which had been in consultation for about six months.
DP World Limassol is also ready,
DP World Limassol, the management company of the multipurpose terminal and the passenger terminal in the port of Limassol, which has also created a specialized electronic platform www.limassolcruise.com, also looks forward to the further development of the cruise industry, providing information on possible cruise ships for this year as well as for next. As we were told by the company, the cruise industry is a top priority for DP World Limassol, which has served more than 250 cruise ships in the last four years and has managed the arrival of over 400,000 passengers. As we have been told, the operation of DP World Limassol's new passenger terminal has substantially upgraded the services provided as well as the port infrastructure, enhancing the experience of both cruise companies and passengers. However, Mr. Perdios in his statements to “F” agreed with recent reports by the director of the Cyprus Ports Authority that the country needs other ports. This, he said, will help the development of cruise tourism, which has the potential for great growth. He said, finally, that if the state ministry did not believe in the sector, it would not suggest the study for the Paphos marina to consider combined development, in order to have infrastructure for cruise ship reception.
