MedCruise and AIVP held the first face-to-face meeting of the International Working Group Cruises & Port Cities in Taranto, bringing together nearly 30 professionals and experts from port cities in Italy, Spain, France, Greece and Portugal.
This initiative, created in 2021, promotes dialogue, the exchange of best practices and cooperation between cruise ports and cities, with the aim of supporting more sustainable and inclusive destination management.
Organized by the Ionian Sea Port System Authority (AdSPMI), the meeting focuses on key issues such as governance, mobility and the involvement of the local community, with specific workshops dedicated to the management of tourist flows and collaborative approaches between port-city stakeholders and cruise companies.
The two-day program began with an official press conference at the Ketos Centre, with the participation of the President of the Port of Taranto, a representative from the municipality, and the Port Captain. At this opening session, Theodora Riga, President of MedCruise and Chairwoman of the Corfu Port Authority, emphasized the importance of a collaborative approach to the sector's development, stating: “It is a great honor to be in Taranto and contribute to the important work being done in support of sustainable port-city relations.” She added: “The development of cruise ships is perceived differently depending on the perspective, and our role is to work towards a shared and balanced vision.”
On behalf of AIVP, its Secretary General, Francesca Morucci, stated: “It is a great honor and a true pleasure to have participated in this in-person meeting of the MedCruise and AIVP working group. The first phase of the work, which led to the publication of the Cruise Port City Compass, already demonstrated the value of collaboration between our two associations. In this second phase, we are seeing that the synergy between our two perspectives—AIVP’s port-city approach and MedCruise’s cruise industry vision—is more essential than ever, as port cities face complex challenges (ensuring sustainability, balancing socioeconomic impacts, managing flows, strengthening relationships with local communities, etc.) that require a common language, the exchange of knowledge and systematized experiences, and solutions that support a more balanced and sustainable development of the sector. This working group clearly demonstrates how much our two associations, with their complementary expertise, can contribute to defining innovative models for the port cities of the future.”
The second day was held at the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto (MArTA) and included an Open Lab session with local stakeholders. This space was key to fostering dialogue between international experts and the local cruise ecosystem, with the aim of exploring strategies to strengthen destinations from a sustainability perspective and defining the Group's priorities for the coming year.
Through this joint initiative, MedCruise and AIVP continue to support their members in strengthening port-city relationships and promoting the sustainable development of cruise tourism in the Mediterranean and globally.
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