In recent days in Taranto, hosted by the Municipal Authority, Port System of the Ionian Sea, a meeting of two days of the international working group "Cruises & Port Cities" which was created in 2021 by the MedCruise associations - The Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports and Association Internationale Villes et Ports (AIVP) and that brings together representatives of port cities, ports cruise and cruise operators to address common challenges and promote sustainable strategies. The meeting, which was the first in the presence of the working group, focused on key issues such as governance, mobility and engagement community, with workshops dedicated to the management of tourism flows and collaborative approaches between stakeholders of the port and cities and cruise lines.

Francesca Morucci, AIVP Secretary General and Head of of the Directorate for Transparency, Anti-Corruption, Training and Promotion of the Port System Authority of the Tyrrhenian Sea Settentrionale pointed out that "the first phase of the work, which led to the publication of the Cruise Port City Compass (Publication that collects good practices for growth sustainable cruise ports and their communities, ed.), has already demonstrated the value of collaboration between the two associations. In the second phase - he explained - we are experiencing that the synergy between the two perspectives - the port-city of AIVP and the vision of the cruise industry of MedCruise - is more essential than ever because the Port cities are facing complex challenges (ensuring sustainability, balancing impacts economic impact, managing flows, strengthening relations with the local communities, etc.) which must be addressed with a common language, sharing knowledge, experiences and solutions that can support a more efficient development of the sector".

Commenting on the participation in the Taranto event of the Port System Authority of the Eastern Ligurian Sea with the head of the Communication, Promotion and Monica Fiorini, the president of the institution, Bruno Pisano, highlighted that the adhesion of the Ligurian Port Authority to AIVP and MedCruise "It testifies to the strategic value we attribute to the relationship between the city and the port, in particular in relation to traffic cruise. Thanks to the projects currently being developed - he recalled - this sector is intended to grow significantly in the coming years. We believe It is essential that this development is accompanied by a sustainability, from an environmental point of view, economic and social issues. For this reason, we are constantly committed to in identifying the most effective solutions so that the integration between port activities and the urban context takes place in a balanced and harmonious way, generating value for the entire territory".