MedCruise & AIVP: Cruises & Port Cities - Working Group

PORT OF TARANTO, 6 DECEMBER 2021 - The Port Network Authority (AdSP) of the Ionian Sea - Port of Taranto is among the 25 international members of the joint Working Group created by the AIVP - Association International Villes et Ports and MedCruise - The Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports - with whom the Authority has been associated since 2020 and 2014 respectively.

The important initiative - officially launched by the two Associations last 27 October (news AIVP - news MedCruise) - will see the Working Group (WG) engaged in activities mainly dedicated to the analysis of the dynamics and sustainable relationships between port, city and cruise tourism. The main objective of the project is to bring together the experiences and best practices of each member, aiming at the harmonious coexistence - and mutual awareness - of the various elements that make up the relationships between port and city.

During the WG kick-off meeting, the members identified the main issues which the team wished to start a synergistic collaboration on, bringing together Ports, Cities and Authorities at a global level: the social integration of cruise tourism; communication and stakeholder involvement activities; environmental challenges; restarting the cruise sector in the post-COVID period and increasing the economic impact of the cruise industry.

The Working Group will facilitate the benchmarking of best practices developed around the world, in order to contribute to the improvement of the sustainable relationship between port cities, citizens and cruises. The activities of the WG will therefore be aimed at facilitating dialogue with local governments, national bodies, NGOs and all the actors involved in port-city relations, with the aim of identifying new, sustainable approaches capable of introducing innovations in the context of port cities with an active cruise tourism presence.

Below is the list of the 25 members of the WG:

• AdSP of the Eastern Ligurian Sea - Ports of La Spezia and Marina di Carrara,
• AdSP of the Ionian Sea - Port of Taranto,
• AdSP of the North Adriatic Sea - Ports of Venice and Chioggia,
• AdSP of the North Tyrrhenian Sea - Ports of Livorno, Piombino, Portoferraio,
• AdSP of the Western Ligurian Sea - Ports of Genoa and Savona,
• City of Montreal,
• City of Marseille,
• City of Durban - eThekwini Municipality,
• Costa Brava Cruise Ports,
• Empresa Portuaria of San Antonio,
• French Riviera Ports,
• Port Authority of Heraklion,
• Port Authority of Barcelona,
• Port Authority of Cartagena,
• Port Authority of Lisbon,
• Port Authority of Málaga,
• Port Authority of Tenerife,
• Ports of Azores,
• Port of Helsinki,
• Ports of Toulon-Var Provence,
• Port Saint John,
• Quebec Port Authority,
• SGPTV SA (Tangier City Port Management Company),
• Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), Var Provence Cruise Club.

The WG also includes the following observer members:

• Port of Halifax,
• Port of Buenos Aires,
• Ports de Lille,
• CNR, Condor Security,
• Systematica
• MAP Architecture.