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PortEconomics
  • October 19th, 2025
PortEconomics
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    Geopolitical risks and port-related carbon emissions: evidence and policy implications

    Geopolitical risks and port-related carbon emissions: evidence and policy implications

    Investments and financing challenges of the EU’s port managing bodies; findings from a comprehensive survey

    Investments and financing challenges of the EU’s port managing bodies; findings from a comprehensive survey

    Evaluating customer satisfaction with clearing and forwarding agents:  Kuwait Shuwaikh Port

    Evaluating customer satisfaction with clearing and forwarding agents: Kuwait Shuwaikh Port

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    Digital technologies for efficient and resilient sea-land logistics

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    Stakeholders’ attitudes toward container terminal automation

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    Port reform: World Bank publishes the third edition of its port reform toolkit

    Port reform: World Bank publishes the third edition of its port reform toolkit

    When will we admit that maritime transport will not be decarbonised by 2050?

    When will we admit that maritime transport will not be decarbonised by 2050?

    Digital technologies for efficient and resilient sea-land logistics

    Digital technologies for efficient and resilient sea-land logistics

    The World Ports Tracker in TOC Europe

    The World Ports Tracker in TOC Europe

    Newly-upgraded IAPH World Ports Tracker identifies major sustainability and market trends

    Newly-upgraded IAPH World Ports Tracker identifies major sustainability and market trends

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    Portgraphic: Top-15 EU container ports in H1 2025

    Portgraphic: Top-15 EU container ports in H1 2025

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    PhD posts in the area of ports and energy transition

    PortEconomics members among best-performing scholars globally

    PortEconomics members among best-performing scholars globally

    Accessibility or connectivity: why is it correct to say that in the Caribbean the main logistics problem is connectivity?

    Accessibility or connectivity: why is it correct to say that in the Caribbean the main logistics problem is connectivity?

    Cruise Port-City Compass

    Cruise Port-City Compass

  • Viewpoints
    Portgraphic: Top-15 EU container ports in H1 2025

    Portgraphic: Top-15 EU container ports in H1 2025

    Portgraphic: fleet capacity (owned/chartered) of container shipping lines

    Portgraphic: fleet capacity (owned/chartered) of container shipping lines

    In a tight spot: American ports in global supply chains

    In a tight spot: American ports in global supply chains

    Cruise industry in 2025 at a glance

    Cruise industry in 2025 at a glance

    The box that makes the world go around: container terminals and global trade

    The box that makes the world go around: container terminals and global trade

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A multi-port cruise region: dynamics and hierarchies in the MedCruise

A multi-port cruise region: dynamics and hierarchies in the Med

April 24th, 2017 Cruise, Featured, PortStudies

Madeira cruise port

READ ALSO

Port reform: World Bank publishes the third edition of its port reform toolkit
Port reform: World Bank publishes the third edition of its port reform toolkit
Stakeholders’ attitudes toward container terminal automation
Stakeholders’ attitudes toward container terminal automation
Newly-upgraded IAPH World Ports Tracker identifies major sustainability and market trends
Newly-upgraded IAPH World Ports Tracker identifies major sustainability and market trends
Geopolitical risks and port-related carbon emissions: evidence and policy implications
Geopolitical risks and port-related carbon emissions: evidence and policy implications

The structures of the growth of the cruise port industry in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas the last decade is the theme of a port study by Portecoomics co-director Thanos Pallis and Kleopatra Arapi. The scholars analyse passenger movements in cruise ports in the region, focusing on the trends observed and concludes on the regional dynamics, i.e. growth variations, levels of market concentration, home-porting levels and seasonality.

Cruise witnessed an uninterrupted growth over the last 30 years.  While the global financial crisis of 2008-09 had a major impact over maritime cargo shipping, cruise lines and ports continued experiencing steadily rising numbers of passengers. The uninterrupted growth continued even when the Costa Concordia loss created the most sustained period of negative publicity for the industry.

The industry managed to ‘cruise through the perfect storm’ (Peisley, 2012), using an increasing number of ports of call and turnaround ports, aiming to provide excellent in-port and destination experiences and convenient departures from proximal embarkation cities.

At the same time, an industry that had focused on the United States and the Caribbean emerged into a global, highly efficient business. Today Cruise itineraries take place via the deployment of vessels in a specific geographic cruise region, or transferred between markets even within the same calendar year, with round the world cruises also in offer. Within this ongoing globalization of the cruise industry, the region of the world that has grown faster during the first fifteen years of the 21st century is the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas. This stands today as the second most popular cruise destination worldwide, enjoying substantial economic benefits.

The examination of the evolution path and cruise port hierarchy illustrates the transformation of the Med from a group of cruise port destinations hosting a certain number of cruise passengers to a multi-port cruise region hosting several millions of passenger movements.

The study then extends to intra-region dynamics. Comparing trends in the four distinctive port subsystems within what is commonly seen as a single cruise region, the study reveals the unexplored imbalances that co-exist with the overall growth. The picture completes with the examination of the trends in the major 20 cruise ports in the Med, and the levels of market concentration observed within the decade of under examination.

The port study of PortEconomics member Thanos Pallis along with Kleopatra Arapi (University of the Aegean) is accepted for publication at TOURISMOS journal (Volume 11, Number 1).

PortEconomics is providing free access to the authors’ version.

Next article Inland waterways classification for South America
Previous article The case of the “old-fashioned” Latinamerican ports

Thanos Pallis

Dr. Thanos Pallis is Professor of Port Economics & Policy & the scientific coordinator of the Jean Monnet Action on European Port Policy at the Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport (STT), University of the Aegean, Greece. He is currently the President of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), and has served as secretary general of MedCruise, the association of cruise ports in the Med. The author of the acclaimed book "European Port Policy", he has an extensive international experience in port policy and economics. Thanos co-directs PortEconomics and is a regular contributor at the work of national governments and international organisation (UNCTAD, OECD, and ESPO, IAPH, and AVIP) shaping the port sector.

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Oct 5th 7:23 PM
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Geopolitical risks and port-related carbon emissions: evidence and policy implications

Oct 2nd 12:27 PM
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Portgraphic: Top-15 EU container ports in H1 2025

Sep 18th 3:40 PM
Thematic Area

Portgraphic: fleet capacity (owned/chartered) of container shipping lines

Sep 12th 3:48 PM
Thematic Area

Investments and financing challenges of the EU’s port managing bodies; findings from a comprehensive survey

Aug 12th 2:18 PM
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Port reform: World Bank publishes the third edition of its port reform toolkit

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