"WE SALUTE YOU!": the cruise season 2021 of the port of Taranto ends with the last stop of the MSC SEASIDE.
PORT OF TARANTO, 11 NOVEMBER 2021 - Yesterday afternoon, at the San Cataldo Pier of the port of Taranto, the closing ceremony of the 2021 cruise season took place, organised by the Port System Authority of the Ionian Sea in collaboration with the Municipality of Taranto and Taranto Cruise Port.
Plays of light, sound and water gave cruise passengers on board the majestic MSC Seaside an exclusive farewell ceremony that "lit up" the San Cataldo Pier, offering a unique spectacle to the port city of Taranto. A beam of coloured lights rose up along the pier to accompany, to the rhythm of music, the unmooring operations of the smart-ship of the prestigious international cruise line MSC Crociere on the occasion of its 28th and last port of call in the Ionian port.
"We salute you!": to the rock tunes of AC/DC, the ship left Taranto's port of call, lighting up the striking skyline of the Mar Grande alongside the water features created by the port's tugs as a sign of farewell to the last cruise ship of the season. With the last stop in the Ionian capital by the MSC Seaside, a particularly successful cruise season officially ends for the port of Taranto, which has recorded record numbers this year.
During 2021, Taranto "a destination beyond your imagination" was the star of the national and Mediterranean cruise scene, opening up new avenues for the development of the area as a top tourist destination. The 2022 season will start in the Port of Taranto from next March, with 9 different cruise lines and about 50 confirmed calls, including from MSC Crociere which, with the "MSC Splendida", has confirmed that it will be back at the port next year as well.
"The 'rock port' of Taranto”, says Sergio Prete, President of the Port System Authority of the Ionian Sea, “offers its personal thanks and farewell to MSC with enthusiasm, colours and energy, elements that have characterised the welcoming spirit of the port city of Taranto from May until today. It has been an important season which has allowed the port of Taranto to establish itself as a leading cruise destination in the international cruise industry. The confirmations we have received to date for the next few years are the result of the great collaborative work undertaken with the municipal administration and local stakeholders. Taranto has been able to make the most of its assets also as a tourist destination offering quality services and an incredible variety of excursions, including exclusive ones.”
Today we close an exciting season," said Mayor Rinaldo Melucci, "with the awareness that Taranto has earned a very important place on the continent's cruise scene. We are in the top 10 Italian ports in terms of the number of passengers, and among the top 20 in the Mediterranean. In 2022 we will maintain and improve this trend, giving the port of Taranto back the tourist appeal it has been denied for too long. The figures for these six months of arrivals are a milestone, we have shown how Taranto can be a multi-purpose destination, thanks to its cultural offer and its beaches, a real unicum for MSC passengers. The year 2022, with the opening of the multipurpose Falanto centre, will mark the definitive turning point and will consolidate the relationship between the Municipality and the Port Authority, which has already brought so much success to the area".
"Taranto charmed us with its liveliness and its strong dynamism" - says Antonio Di Monte, General Manager of Taranto Cruise Port - "This first year has been full of new developments, from the inauguration of the terminal to the many projects launched by the Port System Authority of the Ionian Sea, the Municipality of Taranto and the Puglia Region, in which we have had the pleasure of participating. MSC has been a valuable ally in this adventure: recognising the potential of the port and trusting in the professionalism of Global Ports Holding and all the local players, it dominated the 2021 Taranto Cruise Port season, confirming that it will be back again next year. So it’s goodbye to 2022: Taranto, the destination beyond your imagination, awaits you!".
"The inclusion of Taranto as a new destination on our 2021 itineraries proved to be a great success, perhaps even more successful than we expected. Thanks to the valuable collaboration with the local authorities, in just one season we managed to establish Taranto as a new cruise destination, offering our guests a rich and varied choice of shore excursions that allowed them to discover the many attractions of this incredible area. The figures for the summer of 2021 show that our cruise passengers' satisfaction was extremely high and this has led us to confirm that we will be back with MSC Splendida for the entire summer season next year as well," said MSC Crociere Managing Director, Leonardo Massa.
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