The countdown is underway for the thirteenth edition of Italian Cruise Day, the leading travelling forum for the cruise sector in our country. It was conceived and launched in 2011 by Risposte Turismo – a research and strategic consultancy firm catering for the tourism industry in its entirety. This year the event is organized in partnership with the North Tyrrhenian Port Network Authority and Porto di Livorno 2000.
The forum will take place on Friday 23rd October at Livorno’s Cruise Terminal (Piazzale dei Marmi 12). thirteen years after the city last hosted the event. Once again, it provides an opportunity for discussion and business networking for over 200 professionals from the sector, from all over Italy and beyond, representing the various professional categories in the cruise industry. In other words, from tour operators to travel agents, from cruise lines to shipping agents, to port sector representatives plus many others.
“The thirteenth edition of Italian Cruise Day is a major milestone that confirms the strategic importance of an event that has increased over time alongside the entire cruise sector,” stated Francesco Di Cesare, President of Risposte Turismo. “Over the years, the forum has successfully consolidated its central role in the agenda of all operators, establishing itself as the annual benchmark event for the entire cruise supply chain. The upcoming edition, kicking off on Friday, October 23rd, is the first to be held in one of the main Italian cruise hubs that had already hosted the forum in the past. Bringing Italian Cruise Day back to Livorno thirteen years later will therefore also be an opportunity to observe what changes have taken place and how much work has been done by public administrations and organizations, as well as private operators, to make the port and the city increasingly capable of meeting the needs of cruise companies and passengers. creating economic value for the local area that that goes well beyond tourism alone,” Mr. Di Cesare concluded.
“Hosting the thirteenth edition of Italian Cruise Day in Livorno represents an extraordinary opportunity to take stock of the central role of our port system in the national cruise scenario,” said Davide Gariglio, President of the North Tyrrhenian Port Network Authority. “Our network is moving forward with strategic investments to guarantee an increasingly efficient, modern management oriented toward infrastructure development. In this sense the real challenge we are taking on is environmental transition. This includes specific tangible cold ironing measures to reduce emissions from ships at berth. Working in close synergy with all stakeholders and private operators allows us not only to best meet the needs of cruise lines and passengers, but also to generate new wealth and safeguard employment, enhancing the appeal of Livorno and the entire surrounding area,” Mr. Gariglio concluded.
“Bringing Italian Cruise Day back to Livorno, thirteen years after the last edition, represents a particularly significant occasion for our city and our port system,” commented Matteo Savelli, President of Porto di Livorno 2000. “Over the last few years, the cruise industry has changed significantly, and with it, the expectations of cruise lines, passengers, and local regional areas. Today, competing means not only guaranteeing efficiency and quality in hospitality but knowing how to create an experience capable of connecting the port with the city and the entire destination. As Porto di Livorno 2000, we are called upon to interpret this evolution with a long-term vision, working together with all the stakeholders in the industry. For Livorno, the challenge is to ensure that the growth in traffic increasingly translates into opportunities for the local area, businesses, and employment. Italian Cruise Day is the ideal place to discuss these opportunities and to reaffirm Livorno’s desire to be a leading player,” Mr. Savelli concluded.
As usual, the opening of Italian Cruise Day will focus on numbers and statistics with the presentation of the new edition of the Italian Cruise Watch. This research report, produced by Risposte Turismo, contains the most up-to-date, relevant data on the cruise sector in Italy together with forecasts for 2027. The 2026 edition will also include a brief profile of American cruise passengers – the leading global market – and their preferences, as well as a study focusing on the numerous Italian ports that welcome a maximum of 50,000 cruise passengers throughout the year (so-called ‘minor’ ports), exploring their historical trends, seasonal distribution and more.
Investments supporting the cruise industry in the 2024/2026 three-year period
As it does every year, the Italian Cruise Watch includes a mapping of investments dedicated to the cruise industry in Italy. According to early previews from the Risposte Turismo research report, which will be presented in full on October 23rd at the opening of the forum, investments supporting the cruise industry totalling approximately 860 million euros (860.2) were made during the 2024/2026 three-year period. Of this total, 358.1 million euros were allocated to providing shoreside power and energy supplies, 203.7 million euros to the construction and upgrading of cruise infrastructure, 169.5 million euros to building new cruise terminals, 100.5 million euros for dredging and seabed excavation operations, and 28.4 million euros for other types of interventions.
In terms of geographical distribution, the Central-Southern Tyrrhenian region emerged as the area recording the largest share of investments during the current three-year period (304.5 million euros, including over 160 million for the port of Salerno and 137 million for the port of Civitavecchia). This is followed by the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region at €293.9 million, the Northern Tyrrhenian region with €147.9 million invested (over €84 million at the port of La Spezia), and the Islands with 113.6 million euros (over €57 million at the port of Catania).
“The mapping and analysis of investments supporting the cruise industry constitutes, much like traffic data, an essential element for determining the health of the sector,” commented Francesco di Cesare, President of Risposte Turismo. “Our ongoing monitoring delivers particularly significant data and values, showing a commitment that, despite some regional differences, is distributed along the entire Italian coastline. The over 860 million euros invested in the Italian cruise industry in the 2024/2026 three-year period describe a sector that has not merely grown in terms of volume but has invested to prepare itself for the cruise scenario in the next few years. From this perspective, for instance, it is particularly important to note that the largest portion of resources in the current three-year period has been allocated to shoreside power infrastructure, demonstrating that eco- transition is no longer just an objective but a tangible part of port programming. At the same time, the territorial distribution of investments shows how much the cruise industry can serve as a lever for developing tourism for the whole country, from the Tyrrhenian to the Adriatic, from the Ionian to the islands. Italy’s leadership in the European cruise sector,” di Cesare concluded, “also stems from this continuous support for the dynamics and needs of the industry.”
Items on the agenda for Italian Cruise Day 2026
As with every edition, numerous topics will be addressed during the day of discussion and debate: from the state of the art of the cruise industry in Italy and its development prospects—with a focus on investment, what is on offer for tourists, and cooperation within the supply chain—to the relationship between the cruise industry and local areas, and the opportunities and challenges involved; from the richness and variety variety of Italy’s cruise destinations to the role and work of shipping agents, a key link between the ship and the local area, to investments for the sector’s development – including those aimed at promoting greater sustainability in the industry – and the expectations and motivations of those investing in it.
Side events
As always, Italian Cruise Day will host several side events taking place in Livorno on the day of the forum:
La Casa dei Porti Crocieristici: an information, exchange, and discussion area available to cruise terminals to support their activities;
Carriere@ICD: the only career day in Italy dedicated to the cruise sector, which will give young people wishing to pursue a professional career in the industry the opportunity to participate in one-to-one interviews with some of the leading companies.
A few days after the forum, on Monday, October 26th, CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) will also be hosting “All Aboard!” This initiative will see maritime professionals speaking directly with pupils at a local primary school, introducing children to careers at sea and the relationship between their city and its port,
The partners for the 13th edition of Italian Cruise Day are the North Tyrrhenian Port Network Authority and Porto di Livorno 2000. Fincantieri is the main sponsor of the event, followed by Assoporti, with additional support provided by Assiterminal.
Participation in the event requires registration (for further information and details, visit https://www.risposteturismo.it/italian-cruise-day/; @X; @Linkedin).
Translation by Giles Foster
