“Despite the general acceptance of the contribution of maritime tourism to economic growth and the stimulation of local communities, support remains at the level of statements. Today, more than 5,500 professional tourist vessels under 24 meters—approximately 85% of the total—operate from March to November, providing livelihood and income even to the smallest, lesser-known islands,” it adds.
The announcement of S.I.T.E.S.A.P. continues by stating the following:
“However, at the heart of the season, the country has only two boat passage bridges (Lefkada and Chalkida), neither of which is currently operational (Lefkada: out of service for nearly a month, Chalkida: closed in recent days). The result is severe inconvenience for travelers, increased costs, and loss of valuable revenue for the regions the vessels would visit.
Yet, this is only the tip of the iceberg:
At the same time, long-standing problems remain unresolved:
The result of all this is a particularly unfavorable business environment, which mathematically leads to entrepreneurs abandoning the sector.
We appeal to the Government to immediately address these critical issues before the consequences become irreversible for maritime tourism and the Greek economy.
