Naples will host the fourth edition of Italian Cruise Day on October 24 and 25, organized by Risposte Turismo S.R.L. and with participation by major cruise operators and European market leaders.

Cruise Industry News is the official media partner of the Italian Cruise Day.

The Italian Cruise Day helps to promote cruising and Francesco di Cesare, President of Risposte Turismo, noted that the Italian market has been shrinking both in terms of ship calls and passengers.

“The cruise product,” said Francesco di Cesare, “has reached maturity even in the Mediterranean area, as happened some time ago in the Caribbean. After a long period of uninterrupted growth, it is therefore normal to expect, in Italy too, fluctuations in traffic.”

The conference will feature a keynote speech by Francesco Galietti, the national director of CLIA Italy, about the Italian market, and Patrick Borstner, director of Wartsila Italy, will talk about the present and future of environmental challenges and the search for solutions in terms of efficiency, safety and sustainability.

The conference will open with a plenary session, entitled: “The cruise industry in Italy: state of the art and future prospects” that will highlight relevant aspects of the current market situation and the future for the industry in Italy, with topics ranging from investments to future growth potential.

Among the speakers will be Gianni Rotondo, general manager for Royal Caribbean International in Italy; Neil Palomba, senior vice president of hotel operations and product development for Costa Crociere, and Roberto Perocchio, CEO of the Venice Passenger Terminal.

Two other parallel sessions will follow and will be dedicated to the sustainable future of cruising and the skills and professionalism required to work in the sector.

The conference will also showcase 14 Italian cruise ports and terminal operators.

The second day will focus on industry career opportunities and be devoted to young people and students that look for a career in the world of cruising.

“There is no future for this industry without the arrival of a new generation, providing energy and capable of ensuring professional growth,” said di Cesare. “For this reason we are convinced that facilitating the iinteraction between companies and students, who are preparing to enter the workforce, will benefit both parties.”Thus, the human resources managers of the cruise companies will be present.