The company received the first prize for its commitment and contribution to the development of cruising in the Eastern Mediterranean
Marking its significant contribution to the Eastern Mediterranean, Celestyal Cruises was awarded at the Mare Nostrum Awards with the first prize, in the category “Cruise Line with the Greatest Commitment to the East Med Region’’, based both on its overall contribution, as well as its commitment to the development of the cruise industry in the region. The company was distinguished among the top tourism companies at the Salone di Rappresentanza del Comune in Genoa, Italy, on June 25, 2019, a function aiming to highlight, through different award categories, the companies that make an effort to promote the industry. The Awards attended members from the largest cruise companies, including members of MedCruise and its partners, local authorities of the region and representatives of the International Press.
Celestyal Cruises’ CEO, Chris Theophilides said: ‘’We are incredibly honored to receive this award and are delighted that Celestyal Cruises continues to play such a significant role in growing visitors to the Eastern Mediterranean region. Indeed, as part of our commitment to operating in this region, we have extended our season this year with the introduction of two new destination-rich itineraries featuring several MedCruise member ports such as Istanbul, Egypt, Cyprus and Israel as well as several popular Greek destinations. These destinations provide us with a great opportunity to build on our stated intention of establishing year-round cruising operations in the Eastern Mediterranean region.’’
The Mare Nostrum Awards 2019 have several categories, judged by different juries, which are composed by cruise industry experts. Some prizes were provided based on jury members’ opinion and others based on each company’s course in the industry. The ceremony began with speeches from the local authorities Stefano Balleari, Deputy Mayor of Genoa; Andrea Benveduti, Councillor of Regional Economic Development for Liguria; Marina Monti, Communications and Marketing Director of the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority and Doriana Rodino, Citu Councilior of Culture in Savona. Then, MedCruise President, Airam Díaz Pastor, addressed the audience and greeted Fabio Capocaccia, former President of MedCruise (1997-2002). The prizes were given by members of the Board of Directors of MedCruise and its President.
