An empirical approach to coastal leisure shipping in Greece and an assessment of its economic contribution

This paper analyses coastal leisure shipping activity in Greece and estimates its economic contribution to the national economy. Even though the activity is encompassed by the shipping transport sector and is supervised by the Ministry of Merchant Marine, its product appears to be offered exclusively to tourists. The magnitude of the economic contribution of coastal leisure shipping to the Greek economy is assessed through the implementation of the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA). Although the contribution of coastal leisure shipping to the national economy is not very substantial, it is significant to the local economies of the insular and coastal regions. The tourist 'day ships' constitute a dependable means of connecting the small islands with the larger islands and the ports of continental Greece. The role of the daily sea tours for the inhabitants of small islands is purely that of a means of transportation, since for most of them the tourist boats are an alternative, or sometimes the only means of connection with the rest of the world.