7th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum Smaller islands on the radar of the major luxury cruise companies

Luxury cruise companies are turning their attention to smaller, off-thebeaten-path destinations, according to discussions at the 7th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum, held in Thessaloniki, Greece. While mainstream ports of call will always have their place, the trend for unique experiences in lesser-known destinations is taking hold. However, the inclusion of more exotic locales on luxury cruise itineraries is not without its challenges. Infrastructure readiness at smaller destinations can be a concern, as well as quality venue availability and berthing policies, as noted by several industry professionals. Not every island can fulfil all needs due to various challenges according to Michele Bosco, Manager, Shore Excursions and Operations Europe, Africa, Middle East, Princess Cruises.

“Poor venue maintenance post Pandemic has led to reduced capacity at certain venues in smaller destinations, which in turn leads to higher cost for guests, meaning that some of the challenges we are facing now have their roots at Covid. Certain venues have also closed down for business and others no longer want to collaborate with cruise companies as the global tourism rebound means that they are receiving stronger flows of independent tourists, reducing their reliance on groups coming from our ships,” he said.

The lack of venue availability is a concern also shared by Agnes Brochet, Director, Destination Research, Development & Planning, Silversea Cruises. “In small islands we will have lack of space for all our guests to secure a spot, when we are at full capacity, because we offer one free excursion at each of the destinations we are visiting, therefore demand for onshore excursion is strong, and that is one of our main land-side challenges.” In terms of what luxury cruise guests seek out of the secret gem destinations, unique human and sustainable experienc- es top the preferences list. “Going to homes of local people or spend time with a local chef are just a couple of examples,” said Constantine Venetopoulos, Director, Communications & PR, Variety Cruises. “We have launched a product ‘Unexplored Greece’ visiting Ikaria and Amorgos and it is now our best seller. Our boats are for 50 guests, so we are niche and for us finding these places is basically finding what our guests want. It is also important to bear in mind the demographics of guests before tailoring certain experience-enhancing shore excursions. It is important to be able to distinguish between what is popular and what is trendy added Bosco: “Smaller group tours are becoming more popular. Tours off-the-beaten-path such as food and drink walking tours in local non touristic venues, or culinary tours where the ship chef takes guests to the local market to select the fresh produce for their dinner or cooking together with them. Meet the family of the farm is also becoming trendy when it comes down to luxury cruising products.”

Luxury cruise guests are searching for the unique and the unexpected and few people would know that an actual desert exists in a Greek island, according to Olympia Anastasopoulou, General Secretary of Tourism Policy and Development, Ministry of Tourism, Hellenic Republic, who keynoted the second and final day of the Forum.

“Coastal and maritime tourism can be a powerful tool for the development of Greece’s national economy as it currently contributes 1.5% of the country’s GDP. Greece possesses the characteristics to make it one of the most attractive destinations for Europe in sea tourism, ranking ninth in the world in terms of coastline length. But we also have mountains, lakes, rivers and even a desert in the Greek island of Limnos. This is why our potential to become a leading cruise destination is significant.”

NAFS | June 2023