“There’s a need for marinas to prevent unregulated anchoring near the town.”

“We’re in favour of this investment in Corfu — it will add real value to maritime tourism and to part of Corfu Port that has been left unused for years. We definitely need marinas to put an end to the uncontrolled anchoring around the town and, hopefully, bring some order to the overall situation. Of course, there are also smaller boats that anchor haphazardly around town.

As for evaluating the contract, it’s hard for us to have a clear opinion, mainly because we received the invitation on such short notice. Still, we fully agree with the proposals of the Corfu Chamber of Commerce and share the concerns of the Regional Governor and the Mayor of Central Corfu. The marina should be connected with the local community — as the Regional Governor said, it can’t be a closed-off area operating independently from the town and its people.

Those are our main concerns. We’re pleased about this development because it will greatly benefit maritime tourism and help extend the tourist season on the island — something we’ve been seeking, pursuing, and working toward.

What I’d also like to know — and I think it would help create more jobs — is whether there will be infrastructure for maintenance and repair workshops around these vessels, so that they can be serviced locally and provide work during the winter months, which Corfu, and our country in general, really need during the off-season.”