The ninety passengers of the first cruise ship in the super yacht category that arrived at the Ayia Napa’s Marina on Sunday were given a warm welcome by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, the Ministry of Tourism, the Municipality of Ayia Napa and the Ayia Napa Marina.

In a written statement, the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works Yiannis Karoussos expressed joy and satisfaction for the reception of the first cruise ship in the Ayia Napa’s Marina.

“I am very happy to see an initiative, that I took years ago to give the first positive results. We have set up a restricted port area around the Ayia Napa’s Marina and issued a customs decree so that cruise ships can reach the Marina and disembark passengers. Our goal is to make all the Marinas of Cyprus accessible to all cruise ships”, said Karoussos.

“We hope that today the arrival of the first cruise ship in the Ayia Napa’s Marina will be the beginning to increase traffic and attract specific tourism, thus strengthening the tourism product of the of Famagusta District”, the Minister noted, adding that the Ministry will proceed to the creation of the berth in the Paralimni Marina, thus facilitating the approach of cruise ships.

Ayia Napa Mayor Christos Zannettos exchanged souvenirs with the captain of the cruise ship and said that “the ferry connectivity makes our municipality and our country stronger on the world tourist map; a connectivity that will bring multiple benefits to the local community but also to our national economy in general “.

The Ayia Napa’s Marina, said Zannettos, is a jewel of the Mediterranean and “I am sure that, through the crisis we are experiencing, such efforts are in the right direction to take us towards our economic growth and beyond.”

The arrival of this cruise ship is very important, because it is the first to enter the Republic of Cyprus from the district of Famagusta after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, said Costas Fytiris, Director of Ayia Napa Marina.

Source: CNA