Gelasakis group

What Gelasakis group does

Gelasakis Group is a privately-owned Greek business conglomerate organized around three vertically integrated sectors: maritime services, travel & mobility, and hospitality. The maritime division, anchored by Gelasakis Shipping Agencies S.A. and Seagate, provides port agency, cruise support, marine ticketing, cargo handling, and salvage operations across major Greek ports including Souda/Chania and Piraeus; the group is recognized as a preferred services provider for cruise lines including Silversea. The travel and mobility division spans Let's Ferry (an online ferry e-ticketing platform serving Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean routes), Let's Drive and Carwiz Greece (car rental at airports and island stations across Greece), and Let's Tour (a Lufthansa City Center-affiliated travel agency serving corporate and marine-crew travel). The hospitality division operates The Chania Hotel, Arkadi Hotel, Villa Saint Antoine, and the 5-star La Mer Resort & Spa in Crete, with a new 184-room 5-star hotel under construction at Psathi, Chania, funded in part by a €20M EU Recovery and Resilience Facility grant.

The group's business model combines professional-services fees (maritime agency), transaction-based revenues (ferry ticketing, car rental, travel bookings), and recurring accommodation revenues (hotels, plus WedGreece event services). Distribution is multi-channel: physical offices at Greek airports and ports, an in-house digital booking stack (Let's Ferry), franchise relationships (Carwiz, Lufthansa City Center), and trade-show-driven travel-trade partnerships (WTM London, ITB Berlin). The technology stack is described as online booking platforms and digital services without disclosed proprietary AI/ML components; competitive positioning rests instead on a 30+ year operating history, ISO certifications across quality, environmental, security, continuity, anti-bribery, and food safety, and an extensive physical presence at Greek tourism and shipping chokepoints.

Ownership is concentrated in the Gelasakis family with Antonis Gelasakis serving as Chairman & CEO; no external private equity or venture investment is evidenced. Geographic footprint is concentrated in Greece (Crete, Athens, Piraeus) with selective international activity via the Carwiz franchise network and trade-show engagement. Multiple operational awards (World Travel Awards, TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice, Booking.com, Greek Hospitality Awards) and a portfolio-wide ISO certification suite indicate governance and brand-quality maturity atypical for a regional services group of this size.

Name

Gelasakis group

Legal name

Gelasakis Shipping, Tourist, Hotel SA

Website

https://gelasakis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gelasakis Group is a privately-owned Greek conglomerate providing integrated maritime agency, travel and mobility (ferry ticketing, car rental, travel agency), and hospitality (luxury hotels and resorts) services across Crete, the Greek islands, and Piraeus, serving cruise lines, shipping companies, and tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel, Maritime & Hospitality Services

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (48831), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Cruise Shore Excursion Operators & Port Services (Agency-led) (THAKAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crew, Marine & Offshore Travel Management (THAKACAF), Island & Archipelago Ferry Services (THAEAGAB), Cruise Travel Agencies & Specialist Cruise Consultants (THAEAFAB)

Keywords

• Maritime port agency
• Car rental services
• Ferry booking platform
• Luxury hotel hospitality
• Travel agency services

Headquarters

HQ city

Piraeus

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Maritime Services: Shipping agency services, cruise ship services, port operations, marine ticketing, and salvage operations. Serves cruise ships, cargo ships, navy ships, and yachts with comprehensive maritime support.
2. Travel & Mobility Services: Car rental operations (Let's Drive, Carwiz franchise), ferry ticket booking platform (Let's Ferry), travel agency services (Let's Tour, Carayanides), and mobility brand operations.
3. Hospitality: Luxury hotel and resort operations including La Mer Resort & Spa, The Chania Hotel, Arkadi Hotel, providing contemporary living and hospitality services in Crete.
4. Wedding & Events Services: Wedding and event organization services through WedGreece brand, offering comprehensive event planning for destination weddings and corporate events.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gelasakis Group delivers maritime port agency and shipping services for cruise ships, cargo vessels, navy ships, tankers and yachts; travel and mobility services including car rental (Let's Drive, Carwiz Greece), an online ferry ticketing platform (Let's Ferry), and a Lufthansa City Center affiliated travel agency (Let's Tour); and luxury hospitality through hotel and resort properties (La Mer Resort & Spa, The Chania Hotel, Arkadi Hotel) plus wedding and event planning (WedGreece). The group also operates maritime salvage services (Seagate) and is constructing a new 5-star, 184-room hotel in Chania, Crete.

Product overview

Gelasakis Group is a privately-owned Greek business conglomerate operating across three core sectors: travel, maritime services, and hospitality. The travel division includes Let’s Drive (car rental), Let’s Tour (Lufthansa City Center travel agency), Let’s Ferry (online ferry ticket booking platform), Carwiz Greece (car rental franchise), and WEDGREECE (destination wedding planning). Maritime services encompass Gelasakis Shipping Agency (shipping agency for cruise, cargo and naval vessels) and Seagate Salvage (maritime salvage operations). The hospitality division operates The Chania Hotel, Arkadi Hotel, and the 5-star La Mer Resort & Spa. The group recently received Recovery Fund (Τ.Α.Α.) financing for construction of a new 5-star 184-room hotel facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Let's Drive Car rental service operating in Greece with presence at airports and cities including Crete, providing vehicle rental solutions for travelers under the Let's Drive brand. The service participates in car rental franchise operations and has expanded internationally.
• Let's Tour Travel agency operating as Lufthansa City Center partner, providing comprehensive travel services including tour operations, cruise services, marine ticketing for crew transportation, and airline ticket services for corporate and individual clients.
• Let's Ferry Online booking platform for coastal passenger tickets providing easy, simplified search and purchase of ferry tickets to and from insular destinations in the Aegean and Ionian Seas, as well as Mediterranean ports.
• Carwiz Greece Car rental franchise operation under the Carwiz International brand, providing vehicle rental services across Greece with locations on multiple Greek islands including Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, Corfu, Lefkada, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Andros, Lesvos, Io, and Chalkidiki.
• WEDGREECE Wedding and event planning service specializing in destination weddings in Greece, offering event venues with capacity up to 1,400 persons, luxury venues for executive and royal weddings, and comprehensive planning from airline tickets to decoration.
• Gelasakis Shipping Agency Shipping agency services providing port operations and agency representation for cruise ships, cargo ships, naval ships, tankers and yachts at Greek ports including Souda (Chania) and Piraeus. The group is recognized as a preferred services provider in the maritime sector with over 30 years of experience.
• Seagate Salvage Maritime salvage operations and support services, with involvement in environmental initiatives and marine awareness campaigns.
• The Chania Hotel Luxury hotel in Chania, Crete, providing contemporary hospitality services. Has received multiple awards including the Zero Waste HORECA distinction and supports local sports and cultural initiatives.
• Arkadi Hotel Hotel property in Crete offering contemporary living and hospitality services, supporting cultural initiatives and local community programs.
• La Mer Resort & Spa 5-star luxury resort and spa in Crete, recipient of multiple tourism awards including World Travel Awards 2024, TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice awards, Blue Flag certification, and Greek Breakfast certification. Features a beachfront location.
• Villa Saint Antoine Luxury villa property operated by Gelasakis Group under its hospitality portfolio in Crete.
• 5-Star Hotel Construction Project at 'Psathi' Location (Chania, Crete) New-build 5-star hotel development with 184 rooms under construction in Chania, Crete, financed in part by the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully processed operations for cruise ships including the 195m Silver Spirit with 608 passengers and 412 crew.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.

• Carwiz InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Gelasakis Group operates as franchisee for Carwiz car rental brand in Greece, with Let's Drive brand integrated into the international Carwiz network. CARWIZ Greece was recognized as the best franchisee in the network. Partnership enables international car rental services across Greek locations.
• Lufthansa City CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Let's Tour operates as Lufthansa City Center affiliated travel agency, part of the international Lufthansa travel network. This affiliation provides access to global distribution systems and Lufthansa's corporate travel network.
• Silversea CruiseskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerGelasakis Shipping Agency serves as official shipping agent for Silversea Cruises in Greece. Managed port operations for Silver Spirit cruise ship prior to drydock, coordinating donations of ship equipment to local Chania institutions. Partnership supports cruise operations in Souda Harbor.
• FincantieriminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian shipyard that conducted drydock refurbishment for Silversea Cruises' Silver Spirit. Gelasakis coordinated ship operations and crew logistics during the maintenance period.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GAC Group: Global shipping, logistics and port-services group offering agency, husbandry and cruise support across hundreds of ports. Direct functional analog to Gelasakis Shipping Agency at significantly larger enterprise scale.
• Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding: Norwegian-headquartered maritime services group providing port call, agency, and ship-service solutions globally. Comparable business model to Gelasakis' shipping-agency and Seagate salvage operations, but with global scale and listed-company governance.
• Inchcape Shipping Services: Global port agency and maritime services provider serving cruise, cargo, navy, and offshore clients. Most directly comparable to Gelasakis Shipping Agency on the maritime-services side, though at far larger global scale and with broader geographic coverage.

Regional players

• Mitsis Hotels: Greek family-owned hotel group operating multiple luxury and all-inclusive resorts across Crete, Rhodes, Kos and other islands. Closely comparable in ownership structure, market segment, and Crete-centric luxury hospitality positioning.

Direct peers

• Ferryhopper: Greek-founded online ferry booking platform covering Aegean, Adriatic and wider Mediterranean routes. Direct competitor to Let's Ferry in ferry ticketing, with similar Greek-island focus and digital-only model.
• Sani Resort / Sani-Ikos Group: Greek luxury hospitality group operating multi-property resorts in Halkidiki and the Ionian. Comparable in 5-star resort positioning, Crete/Greek-island tourism demand, and ESG/award recognition to La Mer Resort & Spa.
• Celestyal Cruises: Cyprus-registered cruise operator running Greek-islands and Eastern Mediterranean itineraries out of Piraeus. Direct peer for cruise-related port-agency business at Souda/Piraeus and comparable Mediterranean destination focus.
• Variety Cruises: Greek-owned small-ship and luxury expedition cruise line operating in the Aegean and Adriatic. Overlaps with Gelasakis' yacht and small-cruise support services and shares a Greek-port-of-call network.
• Blue Star Ferries (Attica Group): Largest Greek ferry operator serving the Aegean islands out of Piraeus. Direct counterpart to the ferry routes that Let's Ferry tickets, with overlapping route network and Cretan port coverage.
• Amphitrion Group: Greek inbound tourism group offering destination management, ferries, hotels and DMC services across Crete and the Greek islands. Closest multi-vertical (travel + maritime + hospitality) Greek peer to the Gelasakis structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Gelasakis-Group-of-Companies-212023438854568
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gelasakis-group-of-companies

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gelasakis group