The summer season has officially peaked with the advent of August and Greeks are leaving the city in search of some island paradise. Ferry traffic surged in the past week, with boats reporting 100% occupancy. The port has also seen a 13% increase in schedules compared to the previous year.
According to the Coast Guard, July witnessed the departure of 1.4 million passengers from Piraeus, 400,000 of which were headed to the islands of the Saronic Gulf (Aegina, Hydra, Poros, Salamina, Agistri, Spetses etc.).
Hordes of fresh high-school graduates were among the island-bound, who chose Paros and Antiparos to spend their newly found freedom following their final exams.
Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy of Greece Christos Stylianides noted that ferry ticket prices remain stable or have even slightly decreased, while prices for high-speed and inter-island connections have risen. Ongoing discussions with ferry companies focus on further extending special discounts and offers to travelers.
Recent discussions on the prospect of reducing VAT on ferry tickets for private vehicles concluded without any change announced. The outcome of the ministerial council meeting on July 30 deemed that the financial impact of lowering the VAT from 24% to 13% was too high to implement (with an estimated annual loss of 100 million euros), while its effectiveness in combating high prices was questionable as they often fail to reach the end consumer.
