The 11th edition once again brought together top vessels with a Greek professional license, hundreds of industry professionals from around the world, as well as dozens of exhibitors with products and services related to yachting and maritime hospitality.
Available berthing spots were exhausted almost immediately after the opening of registrations. Specifically, 130 vessels registered within just a few days. A total of 106 vessels participated in MEDYS 2026, with a total combined length of 3.98 kilometers, and an extensive waiting list. At the same time, the exhibition was visited by 902 industry professionals from 32 countries.
During the exhibition’s opening ceremony, the president of the Hellenic Maritime Tourism Association, Ioannis Kourounis, stated among other things: “The great increase in participation in this year’s Mediterranean Yacht Show reflects the continuous upward trend of the industry, as the Greek fleet is constantly growing and improving. Greece is now among the top destinations worldwide, and MEDYS proves in practice how a vessel creates an entire economy around it, from the crews to local businesses. With the right support in infrastructure and education, this exhibition will continue to increase the overall value of our tourism product.”
At the opening ceremony, addresses were given by the Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni, the Regional Governor of Peloponnese Dimitris Ptochos, and the Mayor of Nafplio Dimitris Orfanos. Among those present were the Secretary General of Ports, Port Policy and Maritime Investments of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Evangelos Kyriazopoulos, the Secretary General of Tourism Policy and Development Vasiliki Koutsoukou, as well as a multitude of representatives from the political and business community.
A special moment of the opening was the proclamation of Michalis Skoulikidis as honorary president of the Hellenic Maritime Tourism Association, of which he was a founding member and outgoing president and played a significant role in its development.
On the sidelines of the exhibition, on Saturday, May 2, a conference was organized by the Hellenic Maritime Tourism Association on the topic of Marine Parks and Anchoring, under the auspices of the Ministries of Environment and Energy, Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy & Tourism.
At a critical juncture for the future of the industry, the conference focused on the need for an operationally feasible plan that will ensure the protection of the sea, without affecting the competitiveness of Greek yachting, and highlighted the role it is called upon to play in the planning of relevant policies.
The first day of the event culminated with the customary reception, which this year took place at the historic Bourtzi fortress. The show was stolen by the impressive drone show, with hundreds of drones “dancing” in the Argolic sky, creating spectacular formations.
The institution of the Chefs’ Competition was once again one of the most important highlights of the event. The chefs of the participating vessels were called upon to create dishes of high aesthetic and gastronomic perfection.
The judging panel was staffed by two top names of Greek and international gastronomy: George Papazacharias from Delta Restaurant, the only restaurant in Greece with two Michelin stars, and Michelin-starred Chef Luca Piscazzi from the Pelagos restaurant of the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens.
As an annual benchmark of the global shipbroking community, MEDYS attracts the elite of the industry every year, being the only event of this caliber in Greece and the largest of its kind internationally that is exclusively addressed to the top level of luxury yachting, with the participation of vessels over 24 meters with a Greek professional license.
Top professionals of the industry from Greece and abroad were present to get to know the Greek fleet up close.
This year’s impressive participation highlighted, once again, the global recognition and weight of the event, the organizers state.
Among the companies that participated were, among others, Camper & Nicholsons International, Fraser, TWW, Burgess, Edmiston, Northrop & Johnson.
The Mediterranean Yacht Show was co-organized by the Greek Association of Maritime Tourism and the municipality of Nafplio, under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, with the support of the Region of Peloponnese.
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