Confetra and Assiterminal are putting forward proposals to financially support cruise terminals affected by the crisis

In the letter, referring to the recent enactment of the Decree president of the Council of Ministers in which - they recalled - Article 8 shall contain provisions on cruise ships, the Italian General Confederation of Transport and Logistics and the Italian Association of Port & Terminal Operators have explained that 'while the cabotage market (ferries employed in national and/or international line traffic) has seen with the summer season a recovery that has nevertheless generated a compared to 2019 of less than 30%, the cruise industry is not in fact starting again and the resurgence of the pandemic is further reducing the already few bookings: while the the ferry sector - confetra and assiterminal have pointed out - in the so-called "August decree" found a measure of compensation vs. declining revenues, the terminal industry passengers or maritime stations (from which the passengers) no consideration has been given. From our findings - they pointed out - it appears that the contraction of cruise traffic 2020 vs 2019 will be more than 90%1 with increased costs (for the few companies operational measures) due to the security measures taken. You we would therefore pray - they urged the two organizations - to take into account that measure to protect a sector particularly in difficulty, given also the further, constant difficulty in finding in the Port System effective interlocutions. The measure of the next issue, taking into account the additional measures contained in the yesterday's Dpcm (of 25 October last, ed.),will be able to certainly find a place for the proposed measure in the attached document.'

To the letter signed by the President of Confetra, Guido Nicolini, and the president of Assiterminal, Luca Becce, in fact, the two organisations, in view of the "November Decree", have attached a proposal for regulatory measures in favour of passenger port terminals functional to the cruise market. In the proposal Confetra and Assiterminal recalled that in 2019 cruise traffic in Italian ports was about 12 million passengers, while 2020 is expected to have a traffic of only eight hundred and fifty thousand cruise-goers and, moreover, that if last revenues from passenger terminals operating in the passenger segment cruises had been equal to 90 million euros, in 2020 they are expected to revenues of less than five million euros.

In the face of this dramatic scenario Confetra and Assiterminal have made a first proposal. "In view of the decline in passenger traffic in Italian ports resulting from the protracted covid-19 emergency - suggested the two organizations - is established a fund with an initial budget of 40 million euro, in favour of the port concessionaires of Maritime and passenger support services that have suffered a reduction in revenues of more than 60% in the between 1 March 2020 and 31 December 2020 compared to recorded in the same periods of the year 2019. Resources are distributed by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, subject to technical report of the Ministry itself, proportionally to the reduction of turnover, at the request of the concessionaire interested party who must attach an economic report proving the the reduction'.

Confetra and Assiterminal have made it clear that this rule would like to set up 'a fund for maritime stations that lost passenger traffic between 3 March and 2019 2020 and 31 December 2021.' The fund - they specified - would have 'purely compensatory effects' and 'the in order to rebalance the economic and financial plan of the dealers so that they can resume their activities in complete safety also favoring investments of a healthcare inside the terminals.'

A second proposal by Confetra and Assiterminal provides that, "in consideration of the decline in passenger traffic in Italian ports as a result of the protracted Covid-19 emergency, 'established a fund with an initial budget of 40 million euros, in favour of the dealers managing Maritime stations that have suffered a reduction in revenues more than 60% in the period from 1 March 2020 to 31 March 2020 december 2020 compared to what was recorded in the same periods of the year 2019. The resources - it is proposed - are distributed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, to an extent proportional to the reduction in typical turnover, at the request of the interested concessionaire who has to attach an economic relationship proving that reduction has been made.'

Confetra and Assiterminal have made it clear that with the second proposed legislation would establish 'a fund for stations maritime services that lost passenger traffic during the period including between 1 March 2020 and 31 December 2020 compared to recorded in the same periods of the year 2019. In view of the fact that the impact of the pandemic on passenger traffic in ports has resulted in a decrease in total revenues of more than 95% per 2020 vs 2019 and that, at present, the forecasts for 2021 do not provide an adequate recovery' - explained the two organisations - the fund would have "purely compensatory measures' and 'the aim of rebalancing the economic and financial plan of the dealers so that they can resume the related activities in complete safety also promoting health investments within the terminals.'