Herakleion Port Authority aims to become a reference point in the Eastern Mediterranean

During the meeting, Papadakis pointed retired that “we are present to talk astir our path, our vision and however the larboard of Heraklion is becoming a pillar of improvement for Crete and Greece.”

He presented the strategic directions of the maestro plan, adding that special accent is placed connected the cruise assemblage which is simply a cardinal pillar of economical development.

Specifically, Papadakis stated:

The cruise manufacture has registered a dynamic course, with 2025 arsenic a milestone year, aft an accrued fig of cruise vessel arrivals, with caller routes that see Heraklion successful cardinal hubs arsenic well arsenic grounds visitors, a information that contributes decisively to the section economy, trade, gastronomy and culture. So far, successful 2025, 179 arrivals person taken spot with 373,866 passengers, while 294 arrivals with 550,000 are expected by the extremity of the year.

In a play of 6 years, cruise vessel arrivals person accrued by 44% and passengers are up by 80%.

However, October is expected to beryllium “strong” with 52 arrivals, while traffic will proceed until December, which proves that cruising contributes to the hold of the tourist season. At the aforesaid time, it was emphasized that the cognition of the caller airdrome is expected to bring a boost, particularly to location ports, with 2026 being a strong year for cruises.

Regarding the investments planned under the maestro plan, the CEO emphasized that the larboard of Herakleion is entering a caller epoch of sustainable development.

The port’s maestro program includes:

A caller gathering for the Port Authority, further areas for warehouses – logistics, the quality to person up to 4 cruise ships astatine the aforesaid time, a edifice and a league center, caller floating piers with the quality to dock up to 15 catamarans, eastbound and south of the existent larboard authority, upgrading the shipbuilding and repair zone, use of the escaped zone for a αυτοκίνητο terminal.

Finally, Papadakis added that the vision is “to marque Heraklion a notation constituent successful the Eastern Mediterranean. To strengthen the competitiveness of the larboard with high-quality services. To go a pillar of greenish development, incorporating innovative biology practices. To relation arsenic a span of civilization and tourism, highlighting the unique quality of Crete.”