The Port of Civitavecchia and the Port of Salerno have announced that they are joining forces to develop Salerno as a cruise port and destination.

The President of the Port of Civitavecchia Pasqualino Monti and the Mayor Peter Tidei have signed a memorandum of understanding with the President of the Port Authority of Salerno Andrea Annunziata and the Mayor of Salerno Vincenzo De Luca.

The two port authorities will set up working groups that within a year will submit a plan for improvements at airports and for port security and environmental policies.

The ultimate goal, according to a press release from Civitavecchia, is to promote further growth of the cruise industry and related services.

Monti said in a prepared statement that rather than compete internationally, it makes more sense for national ports to work together and develop their own characteristics.

He said that the effort serves the cruise lines, which are looking for itineraries and new ports with the necessary infrastructure.

Within a 250 kilometer radius, this part of Italy offers what he called the largest historical and cultural landscape in the world, from Rome to Pompeii, the Amalfi coast, Capri and Paestum.