The cruise industry in Greece experienced a notable upswing in 2023, producing a substantial 908.4 million euros in travel receipts, representing an extraordinary 84.1 per cent growth in comparison to the preceding year. The 2016 main Greek locations, which accounted for 83.7% of all cruise ship arrivals in the country, provided the Bank of Greece (BoG) with these figures.
Additional revenues accounted for the remaining 847.4 million euros of the total revenue, of which 61.0 million euros were attributable to the last port travellers departing the country. Following Santorini and Corfu by 8.5 per cent and 13.3 per cent, respectively, the port of Piraeus emerged as the forerunner, contributing 47.8 per cent of the total cruise-related receipts. Notably, in 2023, a conglomeration of seven pivotal cruise ship terminals facilitated 82.7 per cent of cruise passenger visits and 90.8 per cent of cruise receipts.
Compared to the 4,598 arrivals documented in 2022, the number of cruise ship arrivals increased significantly to 5,152 during the year. As a result, the overall number of overnight accommodations at land experienced a remarkable 121.5% increase annually, culminating in a total of 9,421.9 thousand in 2023. The increase in overnight stays significantly contributed to the growth of cruise revenue. Furthermore, the annual growth rate of the cruise passenger population was 61.1 per cent, culminating in an approximate total of 3,484.1 thousand individuals, according to the report.
Santorini received the greatest number of cruise ship arrivals, accounting for 15.5 % of the total. Piraeus and Mykonos followed suit, each receiving 14.8 % of the vessels.
In addition, the number of cruise passenger visits increased by 55.0%, swelling to 6,964.2 thousand in 2023 from 4,493.6 thousand in 2022. A remarkable 83.6 % of the overall population consisted of transit visitors, who made an average of 2.0 layovers at Greek ports of call.
In March, the Hellenic Ports Association (ELIME) released preliminary data that confirmed Greece shattered all cruise records in 2023. The country received 5,230 cruise ship arrivals and 7,003,150 passengers through its 49 ports, representing an astounding increase of 9.41 % and 51.26 % respectively, compared to 2022.
As reported by ELIME, Ports Santorini (1,298,968), Mykonos (1,192,822), Corfu, Rhodes, Katakolo, and Heraklion all handled passengers in excess of Piraeus.
