Day 7 was the day of the sea. Whether shipping boats, ports, or yachts, water and boats were a common theme of the day.
We started our day at the Limassol Port, where we had presentations by DP World, P + O, and Eurogate. All of these companies operate at the port under a concession, which I learned essentially means a contract with the port that means they are only able to operate there and use their resources for a certain number of years.
The first meeting with DP world was very educational and gave me good insight into the rest of the day, as I knew little about the shipping industry before going on the trip. The representative was very knowledgable and passionate about the industry, and was very informative in his presentation. DP world is a worldwide shipping company that is a multipurpose terminal. This is in contrast to the next presentation, with P + O, which is more interested in the logistics of shipping and controls pilotage of boats.
One thing I found interesting about these presentations, was the strong emphasis placed on including women in the workplace. The way it was talked about, it seemed to almost be a revolutionary concept, and something that seemed in a way to diversify these companies from others. For example, it was mentioned how P + O had the first female tug master in Europe, and itv was even said that this is typically a “man’s job”. This attitude of women in the workplace compared to in the US is wildly different in my opinion and somewhat shocking that it seems to be in a way so far behind. I could just tell from small comments and attitudes that it was definitely a tad more unusual here and that it was somewhat of a new idea. It made me value that while although things in the US may not be perfect, they are indeed more advanced than other places in the world.
After this, we headed to the Eurogates section of the port, where we had a tour of the actual shipping area and got to see the large cranes. It was fascinating to see how it all actually works and to see just how large in size the cranes were. It was also interesting to see this behind the scenes work, since often times we don’t think about where our products come from before they are in a store or how they get there.
After our visit at the Port, we were surprised with a lunch on a giant boat on the marina before our q and a panel. The food was delicious and the views were incredible. The panel was also especially interesting to hear from people so passionate about their career paths. With both of the speakers you could tell that they truly do this job to make a difference and not just for financial gain.
After a long day we headed back to the hotel, got a good dinner, and explored the city a little at night. It was another great day in Cyrpus!