“This year we’ll see cruise traffic of around 220,000 passengers and 170 calls, approximately the same as last year. But we hope to increase it next year,” said  Apollon G. Filippis, chairman and managing director of the Heraklion Port Authority in an interview with Cruise Industry News.

“We are actively working with the local Chamber of Commerce on promotion. Lately we have also developed the Heraklion City Guide app that passengers can download on their mobile devices,” he said.

The port features a new 2,500-square-meter passenger terminal that has all hte necessary requirements to conduct passport and security clearance, and features a dedicated check-in area for turnaround operations.

Filippis is part of new management that foresees growth in the cruise industry, and pointed to the port’s master plan, which calls to develop the cruise business.

“We are also seeing a traffic increase due to the political situation. Some cruise lines aren’t calling at Turkey or Egypt and so they prefer to divert their ships to us,” said Filippis.