10,8 million passengers handled - embarkations, disembarks and transits - (+6,4% on the negative estimates at the end of 2017) and around 4.600 ship calls (+4,1%), an increase that does not make up for the contraction expected for 2017 and brings the number of passengers handled back to 2012 values.
These are the first forecasts relating to cruise traffic in 2018 in Italian ports formulated by Risposte Turismo and contained in the new edition of Italian Cruise Watch, the research report presented today by Francesco di Cesare – President of Risposte Turismo – at the opening of the seventh edition of Italian Cruise day.
The data are the result of the projection made on the forecasts of 35 Italian cruise ports representing 96% of national passenger traffic, ports that rise to 36 for ship calls (91% representativeness of the total Italy).
Civitavecchia will once again confirm itself as the first national cruise port with a growth of around 12% compared to the 2017 closure estimates, for a total of around 2,5 million passengers handled.
Behind it are Venice (1,4 million passenger movements, stable) and Naples (just over 1 million passenger movements, +15%). At the foot of the podium are Savona, in fourth position by virtue of 950 passengers expected (+12,6%) and Genoa, in fifth place with 920 passengers expected (+0,5%).
As regards the classification of ship calls, according to the forecasts of Risposte Turismo in 2018 Civitavecchia will once again be confirmed in first place (821, +10,8%), followed by Venice (473, stable) and Livorno (354, + 2,9%). With reference to 2017, the research report confirms the presence of 5 national airports (Civitavecchia in second place, Venice in fourth, Naples in sixth, Genoa and Savona respectively in eighth and ninth place) in the forecast ranking of passengers handled in the first 10 Mediterranean ports, demonstrating, once again, the centrality of our country in cruise tourism in the area.
Italian Cruise Watch has also analyzed other aspects of the cruise sector this year as well. As regards the number of port infrastructures, the report also highlights a growth in passenger terminals for 2018 (47, compared to 44 in 2017).
Furthermore, the Risposte Turismo research report shows how 84% of the ports have no intention of changing the rates currently applied to cruise traffic, whose weight on the total passenger traffic by sea continues to grow (47% the expected average for 2018 against 44% in 2017).
As regards the investments planned for cruise terminals, the main national airports are planning around 300 million euros in the three-year period 2018-2020, of which just over half in safety and equipment and the remainder in infrastructure.
With reference to the analysis of the itineraries and stopovers chosen by the companies, at the end of 2017 the port with the widest variety of customer portfolios will be Venice, followed by Civitavecchia and Naples.
The company which, in the current year, called at the largest number of Italian ports (25) was Ponant Cruises, followed by Silversea Cruises (24) and Windstar Cruises (20). With regard to the 2017 estimates and 2018 forecasts relating to the trend in the turnover of travel agents operating in Italy generated by the cruise product alone, the edition of Italian Cruise Watch presented this morning in Palermo shows, for the fourth consecutive year, signs of optimism, demonstrating once again the importance of
sector within the tourism macro-industry.
In fact, around 8 out of 10 interviewees estimate a stability (42,3%) or an increase (38%) of their turnover generated by the cruise product alone at the end of the year, a percentage which, in the 2018 forecasts, rises by around 4 points, settling to 84,5%.
It should be noted that, compared to 2017, the survey carried out by Risposte Turismo shows for 2018 a decrease in the percentage of travel agents who expect a decrease (15,5% against 19,7%) and a slight increase of those , on the other hand, estimates an increase in its turnover generated by the cruise product alone (39,4% against 38%).
As regards the evolution of customers, for the period 2016-2018, the report highlights a growth trend in the share of customers both on their first cruise and under 30. With reference instead to the cruise product sold, in the same period there is a growth of themed cruises. Among these, those dedicated to young people and singles are the ones most selected by customers, with 25% of preferences each.
Once again this year Italian Cruise Watch contains a monographic study, dedicated in this edition to cruise traffic in Spain, Greece and France and a comparison with Italy in the period 2007-2016. From the latter one can better evaluate the Italian leadership, as well as the overtaking of Mediterranean Spain on Greece (returned at the end of 2016 to the cruise traffic values of 2007) starting from 2014 and the interesting growth trend of the French Mediterranean coast.
As far as ship calls are concerned, the analysis of the last ten years shows how the Italian leadership has been established on several occasions by Greek traffic. It is interesting to note that in Spain traffic has grown in terms of passengers but not as much in ship calls, with a 2016 value close to that recorded in 2007.
Finally, as regards the data relating to the main cruise ports of each country (Civitavecchia, Barcelona, Piraeus, Marseille), the monograph contained this year in Italian Cruise Watch reaffirms the strength of Barcelona as the leading port in the Mediterranean,
although recently undermined by Civitavecchia.
The study also shows how Marseille recorded the most significant growth in the decade 2007-2016, surpassing Piraeus since 2013. Italian Cruise Day, in this edition organized in partnership with the Western Sicilian Sea Port Authority, opened this morning at the Grand Hotel Villa Igiea with institutional greetings from Leoluca Orlando – Mayor of Palermo and Zeno D'Agostino – President Assoporti and the opening speeches by Pasqualino Monti – President of the Port System Authority of the Western Sicilian Sea, Roberto Martinoli – Chairman CLIA Italy and Thanos Pallis – Secretary General of MedCruise.
The seventh edition of Italian Cruise Day, created with the support of CLIA Europe, obtained the patronage of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Heritage, Cultural Activities and Tourism, the Tourism Department of the Region
Siciliana, the Municipality of Palermo and MedCruise. The main sponsors of the event are Dosanta Group, Generali Global Corporate & Commercial and SIAT Assicurazioni. Sponsors of the initiative are Assoporti, Global Ports Holding e
Wartsila Italy.
