Cosco's ambitious plans for Piraeus Port

Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) is not only planning to create four new mooring slots for cruise ships at the southern side of the port that will be able to receive vessels of up to 390 meters in length, but in the medium term it is also preparing the creation of a luxurious hotel and shopping center, as well as entertainment and food service spots.

These plans, aimed at turning Piraeus into a cruise hub in the Eastern Mediterranean, were presented on Tuesday by the new management of Cosco-controlled OLP to the sector's major international operators in the context of the 4th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum in Athens.

Leading officials of groups such as Royal Caribbean Cruises, Carnival Corporation, MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages heard OLP's strategic planning and marketing director Theodora Riga expressed the company's ambition not only to be the home port of foreign operators...