We’re approaching mid-February… and time is flying by at an incredible pace. There is a massive concentration of events happening around us, foremost among them, of course, the pandemic, which is certain to leave an indelible mark on all our lives at every level. In these times, when human resilience is being tested and so much of what we have achieved with such difficulty is at risk, it is essential that we join forces and, united, move forward with dynamism and flexibility so that we can more easily overcome these difficulties… as much as possible!
For us to have a successful summer season in the tourism sector, all stakeholders involved must work together in harmony, with clear terms and coordinated plans. This summer will be difficult as well—make no mistake—and even the most optimistic forecasts suggest that we will reach only about 40 percent of the financial results achieved in 2019.
The last thing we’d want is to have new problems piled on top of everything else! I won’t hide the fact that AQUA JEWEL’s back-and-forth about which port it will call at doesn’t exactly fill me with optimism. Completely out of the blue and with weather that was anything but problematic—just like last Sunday, January 31, 2021—the ship docked at Agia Pelagia following a last-minute decision. This is something that in recent years has happened very rarely, only under very poor conditions and in special circumstances. Now, with better and more modern ships, something like this should have been ruled out! Unfortunately, however, it continues to happen with increasing frequency, resulting in inconvenience and financial burden for residents, visitors, and business owners on our islands.
Since the continuation of this phenomenon would be a catastrophic development for all of us, it is now time to take timely and decisive action!
