REPORT OF THE 2nd PANHELLENIC YACHTING CONGRESS

The contribution of yachting to the development of tourism and the economy was at the heart of the 2nd Panhellenic Congress– It was completed with great success and the participation of all bodies and professionals in the industry.

The 2nd Panhellenic Yachting Congress was completed with great success, which is the leading institution in the industry and was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Shipping & Island Policy, the Ministry of Tourism, the Attica Region, the Greek National Tourism Organization, the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping, the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as SITESAP, the Greek Marinas Association, the Propeller Club, of PSEPE and the Hellenic Association of Women.

The Congress was attended by all stakeholders and professionals with significant activity in the field of yachting, charter companies, and brokers, as well as owners of yachts, marinas, marina management companies, boat support services companies, and boat manufacturers.

During the Congress, the need to expand structures and increase berths was discussed, as well as the issue of training and attracting executives in the yachting industry and in particular specialization in customer management, given the significant shortage of manpower. In addition, all participants agreed on the need for legislative interventions that will give further development impetus to the industry, the need for financial support for businesses active in yachting as well as the targeting of tourism promotion. In the special section on the effects of the climate crisis, special reference was made to new forms of energy and the propulsion of vessels.

In his opening address, the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Vassilis Kikilias focused on the particular importance of yachting in the development of marine tourism and its contribution to the upgrading of the country's tourism product in general. The Secretary-General for Ports and Island Policy of the Ministry of Shipping Mr. Evangelos Kyriazopoulos underlined that there is special planning in the Ministry of Shipping on the issue of port infrastructure regarding yachting, while regarding tourist ports there is relevant cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism.

Among other greetings, the Regional Governor of Attica, Mr. George Patoulis emphasized the Strategic Planning of the Region of Attica for Marine and Yachting Tourism, recognizing the need to upgrade port infrastructure as a prerequisite to meet the growing demand and further develop the industry.

Mrs. Olympia Anastassopoulou, Secretary General for Tourism Policy and Development, Ministry of Tourism, confirmed the main axes of strategy, the extension of the tourist season, and the spatial expansion of the tourism product, noting that the yachting sector contributes about 1.5% of the country's GDP.

The President of the Greek National Tourism Organization, Mrs. Angela Gkerekou, focused on the specific aspects of the tourism promotion program associated with the promotion of yachting activities while noting that "from the traditional, seasonal "sun and sea" we should now move to 365-day yachting.

This was followed by greetings from representatives of many institutional and professional bodies present. Among them, the President of the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping, Mr. Georgios Pateras, focused on the importance of yachting both as a professional sector and as a private leisure activity, and made reference to the large number of seafarers shortage, while pointing out the special initiative "authentic customer care" sustainable yachting, to maintain the quality and preserve the authenticity of Greek destinations.

Mr. Georgios Vernikos, on behalf of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), and the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping (NEE), referred mainly to the need to support "sustainable development" in the context of the development of both tourism in general and maritime tourism. Mr. Nikos Kelaiditis, president of HATTA, pointed out that the industry must make use of the thousands of travel agencies that are essentially "sellers" of the Greek tourism product while noting that they can be helped by the European and international partnerships that Fed HATTA has.

It is emphasized that on the night of the gala the young Georgios Anagnostakis, winner of the Young generation yacht design competition, received his award

The Congress was organized by Trinity Events and BoatsAdvisor Hub &Events and there were several participants who watched its work through a digital platform in Live streaming.

Finally, the organizers warmly thanked the following supporters of the Congress:

GOLDEN SPONSORS

GOLDEN AUTOMATION SYSTEMS
LAMDA FLISVOS MARINA SA
SPANOPOULOS GROUP
THE POSIDONIA SEA TOURISM FORUM
GENERAL SHIPPING

SILVER SPONSORS

ALPHA MARINE LTD
TRAVEL BIZZ – Offered to the Winner of the YOUNG GENERATION YACHT DESIGN COMPETITION, the return air ticket to the MONACO YACHT SHOW which takes place in September.

BRONZE SPONSORS

CONTINENTAL MARITIME / BOAT.GR
MARGETIS MARITIME CONSULTING
PANTAENIUS BOAT INSURANCE
SEIL.GR / FOKEA
SGS GREECE SA

SUPPORTERS

ATHENIAN YACHTS
BWA YACHTING GREECE SINGLE MEMBER SA
DNV HELLAS
FRAGOULIS PHOTOGRAPHY
GOODWORK
HALKITIS SHIPYARDS
ISTION
KATRADIS
KIRIACOULIS MEDITERRANEAN
KISS MY BOOTH
KYRIAKOS THEODOSIADIS SA
LES FLEURISTES
MARINA YACHT WEAR
MELITA POWER DIESEL GREECE / MELITA MARINE GROUP
SEA TOURISM FESTIVAL RHODES
SQ LEARN / E-LEARNING EXPERTS
SUK HELLAS LTD
TRIAD LTD TECHNICAL & COMMERCIAL / THEODOSIOU BROS LTD
TRINITY TRAVEL
WISTA HELLAS
ZOIS EFSTATHIOU

The Congress was held under the auspices of: