Last month, Italy has announced a ban on the entry of large ships into Venice. Those in the tourism sector welcomed the Italian government's decision to withdraw large ships from the Giudecca Canal to ease traffic congestion in Venice.
"We are aware of the controversy that existed through the transit of cruise ships ", said the Director of the International Association of Spanish Cruise Lines (CLIA), Alfredo Serrano. The industry has always supported the relocation of cruise ships from St. Mark's Square through the Giudecca Canal since 2012. "We have been urging the authorities for years to find alternative solutions and to be able to transfer large ships to other places".
As for the alternative port of dock for cruise ships after this ban, the Italian government announced in March last year that it was to direct cruise ships to the port of Marghera, the main commercial port of the city of Venice, which is able to accommodate passenger traffic and complement its other current uses as a point of entry into Venice and the whole Veneto region.
In this regard, they point out that there are still many elements to consider in organizing all specific environmental and operational aspects.
"It simply came to our notice then the direction of providing alternative berthing arrangements to the port of Marghera in time for the 2022 season. Serrano also stresses the importance of this activity for the city of canals. "Venice is a crucial hub for cruise ships throughout the region and leaving it would have a detrimental effect on the entire Adriatic region. For example, ports with access to the sea, including Ancona, Bari Brindisi, Split, Dubrovnik and Trieste, could not be accessed by cruise ships without Venice. ", he says.
At this point, he points out that. for certain passengers who choose to go on a cruise, the presence of Venice is a determining factor in the decision to take a cruise on the Adriatic Sea. "If Venice leaves the scheme, then all cruise ship traffic in the eastern Mediterranean, not just in the Adriatic, will be lost, given that Venice is the source of 60% of this traffic."
The director of CLIA Spain provides figures that highlight the weight of the country's industry: the Italian cruise sector generates a turnover of 14.000 million euros every year, providing around 120.000 jobs, direct and indirect, and salaries of 3.900 million euros.