Passengers of the Cypriot-registered Daleena ferry disembark after arriving at the port of Piraeus, in Piraeus, Greece, on June 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
ATHENS, June 20 (Xinhua) - The Port of Piraeus in Greece on Monday welcomed the first passenger ferry on the newly inaugurated line between Cyprus and Greece. The route last operated 21 years ago, the Greek national news agency AMNA reported.
It took around 30 hours for the Cypriot-registered Daleena ferry to reach Piraeus from Limassol in Cyprus.
In statements to the press, officials from both sides said that the resumed ferry connection will boost maritime tourism, offering an alternative to air travel.
In 2001, the passenger ferry route was canceled due to financial reasons, as flights became more frequent and inexpensive.
This time, after receiving a special permission from the European Union, the government of Cyprus offered annual subsidies to the tune of 5.5 million euros (5.77 million U.S. dollars) to the operators of the regular ferry link.
Daleena will make 22 round trips this year until mid-September and the agents said almost all of those have already been booked. (1 euro = 1.05 U.S. dollars) ■
Passengers of the Cypriot-registered Daleena ferry disembark after arriving at the port of Piraeus, in Piraeus, Greece, on June 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
The Philarmonic Orchestra of the Port Authority perform as passengers of the Cypriot-registered Daleena ferry disembark after arriving at the port of Piraeus, in Piraeus, Greece, on June 20, 2022. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
