More than 11,450 people have signed an online petition demanding a ferry link be restored between Cyprus and Greece, but officials argue it’s a financial no-go.
The petition is the initiative of a group of people suffering from aerophobia (fear of flying), with signatures being collected on the popular www.avaaz.org to exert pressure on Nicosia and Athens for a ferry link and a gateway to other Mediterranean ports.
A ferry link between Limassol and Piraeus – carried out by Salamis Tours – was phased out in 2000.
Critics say that air fares are often expensive, underlining that it is unacceptable for their not to be a single ferry servicing Greece and Cyprus, especially for those wanting to travel by car.
Advocates for regular ferry services to and from the ports of Greece and Cyprus – believe that such a development would bring “significant” economic benefits over the medium and long term to Cyprus as well as for Greece.
According to the Cyprus-based group, the ferry link would bring about economic benefits to the Greek islands by allowing Cypriots to easier travel to them by going directly to their destination for a smaller cost than they would have paid if they opted for an organised cruise.
People behind the campaign argue that the link will also contribute to the increase in tourist numbers arriving in Cyprus and Greece, bringing competition between ferry companies and airlines to the benefit of travellers.
However, government officials disagree with the group’s take on the matter, as they find that such a link would be costly both for passengers and the companies running the ferries.
“No shipping company has, to date, expressed interest in such a project,” said a government source who argued that the venture was “virtually impossible”.
The distance from Limassol port to Piraeus is about 600 nautical miles, which would mean that passengers would have to travel for 30 hours, said the source.
“That would mean that cabins, cleaning services and food would have to be provided to travelers, rocketing costs to an extend that it is virtually impossible to cover by the state or a company,” the source told the Financial Mirror.
A traveler to Greece can find a ticket for anything starting from EUR 50, whereas prices for a ferry to Greece would cost at least 5 times more, the official said.
It would also need around 600 people a day making the trip to ensure it a going concern.
“This being the case, there is simply no demand. Apart from a few people who would like to take their car or motorbike with them while on holiday, there is no serious demand to justify spending millions of euros on such a project”.
The official source stressed that the Cyprus Republic has looked into the matter several times without being able to conclude that this is a viable project.
The only way this project could get off the ground, “would be if the EU could fund it. However, EU bodies have also found that the project is not viable”.
And it is argued that only large ships would be in a position to make the journey, as waters in the region can get dangerous for smaller ferry boats.
Louis Cruises echoed the same concerns, agreeing with the government’s position that such a project is neither profitable nor viable.
Louis marketing officer Eirini Loukaidou said a huge investment would be required to establish a ferry link between the two countries, which at the end of the day, will not pay for itself.
She said that the company will be in a position to offer travellers, from next year, the opportunity to hop on a cruise travelling from Limassol to Rhodes, the Turkish resort of Kusadasi on the Aegean coast, then to Athens. The cruise then continues to Alexandria, Port Said, Israel to return to Limassol. The cruise lasts 7 days.
