By
Laura Hyde |
The 12th edition of Italian Cruise Day will take place in Catania, at the Vecchia Dogana del Porto, the former customs building of the city at the foot of Mount Etna, on 24 October 2025.
The event is hosted by Risposte Turismo, a research and consulting company serving the tourism macro-industry, in partnership with the Port System Authority of the Eastern Sicilian Sea. It will focus on the topics and challenges facing the present and future state of the cruise industry in Italy. Over 200 cruise sector operators, from tour operators and travel agents to ship owners and port representatives, from all across the country and beyond will attend.
“Over the years, the sector has grown virtually without interruption, underscoring the key importance of this segment for the Italian tourism macro-industry,” said Francesco di Cesare, president of Risposte Turismo. “The first half of 2025 registered record-breaking figures, with a six per cent rise in passenger movements (5.8 million) and a 10 per cent rise in ship calls (totalling 2,000) in the country’s 60 cruise ports. These results confirm, and indeed strengthen, the growth trend registered by the sector, with a significant contribution made by the excellent performance registered in the 11 cruise ports in Sicily, made possible thanks to over €300 million ($350 million) invested in the sector during the period 2023-2025. This figure is expected to rise to €500 million ($583.9 million) at the end of the three-year period 2026-2028.”
The event will open with welcome addresses from the authorities and a number of opening speeches, which will be followed by the presentation by Francesco di Cesare on the new edition of Italian Cruise Watch, a research report by Risposte Turismo containing significant figures on the cruise sector in Italy and abroad.
The morning’s two roundtable discussions will explore ‘The cruise industry in Italy: current situation and future prospects’ and ‘Infrastructure and beyond: innovations and new solutions’. Afternoon discussions will focus on cruise traffic, cruise passengers and improving port operations.
“Catania is proud to be hosting Italian Cruise Day, the most important event in Italy dedicated to the cruise industry, offering a unique opportunity for all the main national and international stakeholders in the sector to meet and engage,” said Francesco Di Sarcina, president of the Port System Authority of the Eastern Sicilian Sea. “The Port System Authority of the Eastern Sicilian Sea has an important cruise segment, comprising the ports of Catania, Siracusa and Pozzallo. Ours is a well-integrated system with a significant role in the heart of the Mediterranean, founded upon sustainability, innovation and collaboration: the three ports complement one another, forming a system with the potential to become a driver for the development of cruise traffic in Eastern Sicily.
“Hosting Italian Cruise Day allows us to enhance this integrated vision, offering an opportunity to discuss not only the cruise industry, but also geographical areas able to work and grow together, each with their own specific characteristics, to form a System that seeks to present a dynamic, united front, able to attract new opportunities, turn cruise tourism into a value for the local communities and strengthen southeastern Sicily’s role on the national and international scene.”
Confirmed speakers at the event include: Alessandro Carollo and Ana Karina Santini from Royal Caribbean International; Fabrizio Cafagna from Fincantieri; Giovanni Acampora from Assonautica; Guido Grimaldi from Interferry and Grimaldi Lines; Laura Cimaglia from Medcruise; Leonardo Massa and Michele Francioni from MSC Cruises; Raffaella Del Prete from Catania Cruise Port and Global Ports Holding; Roberto Alberti of Costa Crociere; Rodolfo Giampieri from Assoporti; Simona Salvatori from Grand Circle; Stefano De Marco of Wärtsilä; and Tomaso Cognolato from Terminal Napoli and Assiterminal.
The event will also host Carriere@ICD, dedicated to career opportunities within the cruise sector in Italy; La Casa dei Porti Crocieristici, a dedicated space for cruise terminals to supporting operations; and the Premio di Laurea ICD and the Premio di Laurea Assoporti awards.
The full event programme is available to view on the Italian Cruise Day website.