The port of Heraklion shows impressive numbers of passenger arrivals as well as cruise ship arrivals.
More specifically, 2024 is expected to be a record year for cruises in the port of Heraklion. According to the CEO of the Heraklion Port Authority, Mina Papadakis, the port of Heraklion is expected to record rather high numbers in terms of cruises, reaching 430 cruise ships and 450,000 passengers by the end of the year.
Regarding the contribution of the cruise sector to the city of Heraklion, the professor of the University of Piraeus, Thanos Pallis, presented a research which was prepared together with George Vangelas, assistant professor of the Athens Kapodistrian University.
As he pointed out, the total financial benefit of the cruise sector in the city of Heraklion and the wider region reached 60.2 million euros in the period May 2023-May 2024.
The direct financial benefit of the cruise amounted to 36.05 million euros. Cruises operated in 2023-2024 created 521 full-time jobs.
The average expenditure per cruise passenger in the city of Heraklion was 45.2 euros. Shopping and transportation costs make up 56.7% of each passenger’s spending.
The size of the charge is similar to the average charge at other cruise ports (ports-of call).
