The 17th East Med Yacht Show kicked off on Thursday, presenting a fleet of professional yachts at Zea Marina, near the port city of Piraeus, aiming to promote Greek sea tourism.
Greece’s marine tourism sector is experiencing its best phase over the past decade, Hellenic Professional Yacht Owners Association president Antonis Stelliatos announced on Thursday, speaking during the inauguration of the event.
The veteran pleasure craft entrepreneur noted that the boon was due to a widely held image of Greece as a very safe holiday destination, as well as a crackdown by authorities on the illegal leasing of luxury craft – usually foreign-flagged vessels attempting to ply Greek territorial waters without being registered with the local tax bureau.
Stelliatos said the pre-leasing of registered vessels to date has doubled for the current season, compared to last year, while he also cited security concerns in neighboring countries, according to Naftemporiki newspaper.
“With the East Med Show, we show that shipping and tourism are two key pillars for the Greek economy and the future is bright for sea tourism,” he told Xinhua.
Visitors can explore a wide variety of professional Greek boats, including 20-meter high-speed boats, catamarans, sailing yachts, traditional boats as well as mega yachts of 50-60 meters.
The event, which concludes tomorrow, aims to boost competitiveness, upgrade the services leisure boats offer and improve Greece’s position in the global tourism market.
Greece’s marine tourism sector is experiencing its best phase over the past decade, Hellenic Professional Yacht Owners Association president Antonis Stelliatos said on Thursday, speaking during the inauguration of the 17th East Med Yacht Show.
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
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