Passenger sea traffic down on last year
The coast guard has reported that 250,000 fewer passengers traveled through the country’s ports in July and the first 15 days of August compared to the same period in 2014. Seagoing passenger traffic in these two months normally accounts for 40 percent of the total each year.
However, lower fuel prices for a third year running have softened the impact of the decrease on ferry firms while the rise in international tourism and increased occupancy levels on routes from the Dodecanese and Chios as refugees head to ports in Athens have helped to offset the drop in domestic travelers.
Specifically in July, passenger traffic fell by 12.38 percent compared to last year, with the number of routes served reduced by 4.6 percent.
Car transportation dropped 18.09 percent while trucks were down 15.26 percent.
Compared to the same period last year, passenger traffic was 5.95 percent lower for the first 15 days of August, with 5.93 percent fewer routes.
In other areas, passenger figures rose, especially for the first 15 days of August, when traffic to and from the Saronic islands showed a 5.26 percent increase compared to the same period last year, while traffic from Lavrio was up 3.74 percent year-on-year as passengers opted for shorter and cheaper routes.
