The Neapolitan port and the Sicilian capital should exceed 2 and 1 million cruise passengers respectively for the first time
For the third consecutive year, Italy is expected to set a further record for cruise tourism. The analysis and research company Rispetti Turismo in its latest ‘Cruise Special’ estimates that the country could reach a new record in 2025 for both passengers welcomed and ship calls
15.29 million passengers
More precisely, 15.29 million passengers are expected (+7.5% between 2025 and 2024) thanks to over 5,400 ship calls (+5.9%). As on other occasions, the overall picture is the result of a diversified scenario, with some airports that are about to record a new record in traffic volumes (among them Cagliari, Civitavecchia, Messina, Naples, Palermo and Portofino) although others will welcome fewer passengers than those welcomed in 2024 (Livorno, Savona and above all Ravenna).
The cruise market like Italy
According to Francesco di Cesare, president of Rispetti Turismo, “there is still room for volumes to continue to grow, since, in the comparison between the average annual growth rates in the period 2019-2024, Italy records a +2% while at a global level the percentage rises to 3%. It is clear that for a ‘mature’ destination in the cruise market like Italy, double-digit annual growth rates cannot be expected, but the overall trend of the world market can certainly translate into new opportunities for our country”
Some ports will reach a new traffic record
Regarding the 2025 forecasts, it is expected that some ports will reach a new traffic record, such as Civitavecchia (+4.3%), Naples, (+21.0% passengers 2025/2024), Genoa (+11.0%) and Palermo (+9.4%). Furthermore, the Neapolitan port and the Sicilian capital should exceed 2 and 1 million cruise passengers respectively for the first time. At a regional level, Lazio and Liguria will once again compete for the top two positions in terms of number of passengers handled.
Campania and Sicily
Followed by Campania and Sicily, which in 2025 will record the highest percentage increase compared to 2024, with the former overtaking the latter in the ranking of regions with more traffic compared to the previous year, thus rising to third position. Puglia will rise to sixth place, overtaking Sardinia. Among the areas bucking the trend, the North-East is still far from the record year (1.33 million cruise passengers are expected in the four ports in 2025, compared to almost 2 million in the record year 2013).
Among Italian ports
Among Italian ports, in 2025 Civitavecchia will confirm itself at the top with 3.5 million passengers, recording a +2.8% compared to 2024. Naples and Genoa follow, distanced by around 400,000 passengers, with the Neapolitan port expecting a growth of 21% for both passengers and ship calls, and the Ligurian port expecting an increase of around 10% in both variables.
Naples, Messina and Genoa
Palermo follows in fourth place (+9.4% 2025/2024) with 242 touches and a new historical record. In absolute terms, the most significant variations should be recorded by Naples, Messina and Genoa (+360,000, +180,000 and +170,000 passenger movements respectively).
Savona and Ravenna
A decline in the number of cruise passengers handled this year is expected for the ports of Livorno, Savona and Ravenna (for the first two, slightly, -1.6% and -3.3%, the third with -15.1%). The Romagna port is involved in the works on the new terminal which will give new impetus to traffic starting from 2026.
There will be 19 ports that will welcome more than 100,000 passengers in 2025, with Salerno, Olbia and Portofino exceeding this threshold this year
Speaking of the Mediterranean
Speaking of the Mediterranean, in 2024 Barcelona confirmed itself as the first port in the region with a detachment of around 190,000 passengers from Civitavecchia, but still a decrease compared to last year and thus bringing the results of the two ports closer.
The Catalan port
The Catalan port welcomed approximately 3.6 million passengers with 791 calls while the Italian port welcomed 3.46 million with 841 calls. The podium is completed with Marseille with 2.43 million cruise passengers handled, a slight decrease compared to 2023 (-6.4%), followed by Palma de Mallorca with 1.84 million. In total, the top 20 ports in the Mediterranean – of which 9 are Italian – slightly exceeded 27 million passengers and came close to 9,100 cruise calls, marking growth of 3.0% and 1.8% respectively over 2023.
Rankings of homeports and transit ports
Looking at the rankings of homeports and transit ports, last year Civitavecchia was also the first port in terms of volume of cruise passengers embarking and disembarking (1.7 million). Genoa follows at a distance, with 600 thousand cruise passengers involved in home in/out operations. In total, cruise passengers who started a cruise in Italian ports were around 2.4 million.
Sources : Shipping Italy + Photos : BAIRD
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