Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis has said that the 5th ‘Thalassa 2026’ Festival, which will be held on 10th October in Limassol, aims to bring the public closer to the sea and show the importance of the blue economy.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, together with Mayor of Limassol, Yiannis Armeftis, the Deputy Minister said that the Festival will start at 9:00 am and at 10:00 a.m. it will be officially opened by President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides.
Our goal during the Festival, she stressed, “is to bring the public closer to the sea and to highlight the importance of shipping and the Blue Economy for the development and prosperity of Cyprus, so that citizens, and especially young people, get to know the sea not only as a source of entertainment and recreation, but also as a field of knowledge, studies and professional interests.”
She pointed out that despite the fact that Cyprus has one of the largest commercial fleets, both in Europe and worldwide, “the general public often does not have a complete picture of the opportunities offered by the maritime and nautical sector.”
“Through the Festival we seek to bridge this gap and present the world of the sea in a direct, interactive and experiential way”, she stressed.
More than 30 public and private bodies, organizations, services and academic institutions that are active in the fields of navigation and the sea will take part in this year’s Festival, the Deputy Minister added.
This year, she said, a special emphasis is placed on the new generation to get familiar with “this modern and dynamic sector of our economy, to know the possibilities it offers and to realize that shipping is not limited only to ships, but includes a wide range of professions and scientific branches».
The opening ceremony, Hadjimanolis said, will take place in the presence of vessels of the Maritime Administration of the National Guard, the Port and Maritime Police, the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, the Cyprus Port Authority, P and O Maritime and VTS Vasiliko Terminal Services Ltd.
Finally, she invited all citizens to visit the Festival and experience “a unique day dedicated to the sea”.
In his statements, the Mayor of Limassol, said that the Festival started five years ago and noted that it is of special importance for Limassol. The Blue Economy, research, technology and the protection of the marine environment are opening up new roads and new prospects for the future, the Mayor pointed out.
The Festival, he said, aims to familiarise he public with the opportunities offered by the sea and the Blue Economy.
Beyond that, he concluded, the Municipality of Limassol views such events as an opportunity to enhance our respect for the sea and the responsibility we all have for its protection.