Ports & destinations
Unsung challenges of the Black Sea
The Eurasian sea has long been eclipsed by the Mediterranean to the west, and it hardly helps that nearby regions have often been troubled by war – not least in Ukraine. But with a wealth of natural and historical wonders to explore, could it fi nally fulfi l its potential? Andrea Valentino talks to fi gures across the region’s cruise industry to understand how far the market has fallen, how operators are adapting to uncertainty and how integration could help the Black Sea rebound.
nce more, the Black Sea finds itself in the midst of war. February and March saw thousands of Russian troops swarming into neighbouring Ukraine, shelling civilians and attacking cities. This is, unfortunately, not the first time the region has seen conflict. In 2014, the Russians took Crimea, and plunged eastern Ukraine into anarchic chaos. In 2008, the battlefield was Georgia, when the seaside province of Abkhazia was taken by Moscow. And before that, other battles: when Austrians and Germans and Turks all hungered for this sea, with its warm water ports and its bounties of crude oil and fish. To put it another way, the Black Sea has always been in flux, as empires slump and borders wobble and shift. Yet to look upon its shores is to understand that this is a place where humanity has found a way to thrive, its towns and villages as
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resilient as ever. And, especially since 1990, there has been tourism. A modest but rising cruise industry, which in 2013 saw 419 calls, according to a report by Medcruise. And why not? Between its rich history and its unkempt natural locations – to say nothing of its closeness to the Mediterranean – this is a place that deserves the world’s attention. But as this latest disaster may once again prove, the Black Sea struggles with the consistent scourge of political violence – and the image problem that constantly troubles it. The region’s cruise sector is suffering heavily, its tourist boards despondent and its ports mostly empty. But however bleak it may be, the situation is not hopeless. With new infrastructure projects being built, collaboration between countries growing, and operators willing to take risks on the region, the Black Sea could yet fulfil its dormant cruising
World Cruise Industry Review /
www.worldcruiseindustryreview.com
Bilal Kocabas/
Shutterstock.com
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