Messina is highly regarded by cruises: record growth in 2023 (+40%) and 7th place in Italy

Messina is such a popular city for major cruise companies that in 2023 they include the fjord city in their itineraries, with 214 calls and passenger forecasts of nearly 600,000 units. This is a huge improvement in performance even compared to the golden years before Covid, with Plus 26% in terms of ships And up to 40% More cruise passengers than in 2019. And these are the data that pushed Messina to rise in the ranking of the main Italian cruise ports, Moving from tenth place in 2022 to seventh place this yearThis is also attested by the usual annual study prepared by SEMAR and published on the occasion of Seatrade Cruise Global.

The Port System Authority in the Straits is also present at the International Cruise Show currently underway in Florida, in Fort Lauderdale, thus continuing its promotion efforts for the ports of Messina and Reggio Calabria. At the now regular Cruise Italy booth, organized by the Italian Ports Association, i Strait ports They present themselves to cruise companies as a unique destination, with typical tourist, cultural, food and wine distinction accessible from the port infrastructures on both shores. The Port of Messina, in particular, is reaping the fruits of intense work, carried out even in the most complex years of the pandemic, expressed in measures to rationalize and improve the efficiency of services and infrastructures, and a targeted marketing activity.

President Mario Mega expressed his great satisfaction and declared: “The more than positive forecast of the expected cruise traffic for the year 2023 in our ports is the result of the great work to promote the lands and ports of the straits carried out after the creation of the AdSP and the excellent operational results in the last few years even those darkened by Covid. Allow Our bookings for 2024, to date, predict a further 15% increase in passengers with a growth trend that exceeds the wildest forecasts The project to redevelop the port of Reggio Calabria and the identification of the sole operator who will build and operate the new cruise terminal together with the Messina terminal will ensure a further boost For the growth of the port system, which intends to assert its role as the central cruise hub in the Mediterranean.