Ukrainian cruise ports lower fees to promote Black Sea

In order to enhance cruise ships call figures, the port of Odessa, Ukraine, will offer a 20% discount on port fees for cruise liners, starting from the 2010 cruise season. Furthermore, all Ukrainian cruise ports will provide a 50% discount on port fees from November 15th till March 15th every year. A 100% discount for tonnage will also be granted from the third call of any vessel of one cruise company to one Ukrainian port throughout a year.

On the occasion of the upcoming Seatrade Cruise Shipping Miami conference and exhibition (March 15-18, 2010), the cruise ports of Ukraine – Odessa, Sevastopol, Yalta and Theodosia – will host a stand with the aim to promote this attractive destination, not yet thoroughly exploited. The ports are situated in the northern basin of the Black Sea, a picturesque area with a rich cultural heritage that is the fruit of centuries of domination by the empires of Rome, Greece and Turkey.

Thanks to an increase in tourist activity, income growth and promotion campaigns during the past ten years, the passenger turnover in these ports has doubled, reaching figures, for all four Ukrainian ports, of 180 cruise line calls and 210 thousand passengers in 2009.

Additionally, the Port of Odessa, the largest cruise port on the Black Sea, will host “BlackSeaCruise2010”, the second edition of a conference focusing on increasing cruise activity on the Black Sea, from September 16-18, 2010. The conference will be especially focused on the leveraging cruise tourism activity with the European Football Championship 2012 in Ukraine and the winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi (Russia). During the conference, participants will deal with the basic trends in cruise shipping and analyze the cruise market and the prospects for its development in the Black Sea basin. For those who register during the Cruise Shipping Miami conference and exhibition, a 30% special discount off delegate fees will be granted.