With 816 Participants, 50 Speakers and 48 Exhibitors & sponsors from 18 Countries total, the 2023 PSTF was a truly international event.

The decision to hold the event in Thessaloniki instead of Athens, was made in the spirit of the forum’s central theme that focused on sustainability strategies and the importance of introducing more destination and port alternatives to dilute impact and optimize cruise traffic management in the Mediterranean.

Panel topics included the necessity for regions & cruise lines to cooperate in expanding itinerary range, increasing infrastructure viability and popularity of alternative ports of call and finally, managing call concentrations to defuse over-tourism phenomena. The conference took a spherical approach on sustainability challenges that come from cruising growth in the Mediterranean and examine ideas from a variety of angles that include commercial, tourism, operational-technical and infrastructure development points of view.

Around the entire Mediterranean coastline and its islands there are countless potential transit alternatives, as well as main & regional homeporting options to support new approaches to itinerary design. Approaches that will better protect the natural, cultural and tourism values of destinations and promote a sustainable future for the regional hosting of cruise activity. Although marquee ports will always be important for selling cruises, more nearby destination alternatives will add scheduling flexibility, as well as travel experience value and passenger satisfaction. Among alternative destinations some could be raised to marquee status, as there are still many bypassed Mediterranean gems that deserve to be given the chance to evolve commercially, develop adequate infrastructures and share the benefits.

Thessaloniki is a good example of a highly viable transit call and turnaround alternative. Both city and port invested in a serious effort to elevate both cruise friendliness and tourist infrastructure. The city of Thessaloniki is just one of many Mediterranean examples that have yet to be appreciated for their true worth and Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum’s goal is to instigate a new approach to cruise geography and destination development that could contribute towards a sustainable cruising future in this highly popular, multifaceted and profitable region.