tender for a new
Plakiotakis made the announcement after a meeting with Deputy Macedonia and Thrace Minister
Stavros Kalafatis.
The entity awarded the concession will receive state subsidy to run three weekly routes as of June 1 through to September 15 between the northern port city and the Sporades isles.
Plakiotakis said the government had
increased the budget for ferry lines servicing
remote islands
and regions from 90 million euros in 2019 to 138 million euros in 2021 for 24 remote ferry connections, which make up “a strong, modern ferry network both in the North Eastern and in South Eastern Aegean”, he said.
“The inhabitants of Northern Greece will have direct access to the Sporades with a fast passenger ferry… in this way we validate the central role of Thessaloniki’s port,” he said.