(Telestock) – Cruise tourism is one of the few phenomena which has shown significant growth worldwide in recent years, with an average annual rate of over 5% (more precisely 5.4%) in the last decade, reaching approximately 30 million passengers in recent years, a clear increase compared to the 17.8 million passengers in 2009. In the last year considered, it is estimated that Italy welcomed almost 9.3 million passengers (+257.5% in 2022/2021). And the ports of Civitavecchia and Naples are at the top of the European rankings that handle the most cruise passengers. Just as it is certainly always the Mediterranean basin (after the Caribbean) that represents the greatest business for operators in the sector, with 17% of the total world capacity hosted in its waters, or 61% of the total supply of beds located in Europe. (33 million).”
This is what the economist claims Antonio CovielloRCNR-IRISS researcher (Institute for Research on Innovation and Services for Development of the National Research Council) and professor of the Department of Economics/Green Economy at the Suor Orsola Benincasa University of Naples in the recently published Report (and available for free consultation, cd “open access”) “Italian cruise tourism: scenarios and trends after the global pandemic. The MSC test case” published in the volume “Sustainability. Contributions for the I SuLab Report” published in the Research Notebooks of the Department of Legal and Economic Sciences of the Suor Orsola Benincasa University of Naples, where the constant challenges dictated by sustainability are addressed with a scientific and multidisciplinary approach.
“Despite representing only 2% of world tourismthe cruise sector occupies a strategic position in the international economic scenario, with direct, indirect and induced positive effects. In fact, the total contribution of the cruise sector to the global economy in the last year considered (sum of direct, indirect and induced effects) was approximately 160 trillion dollars, compared to approximately 30 million cruise passengers embarked and an estimated 96 million passengers in transit in the various ports of the planet”, explains Coviello.
The book chapter written byto Antonio Coviello together with Renato Somma, INGV researcher and CNR Associate at Iriss and Ismar (Institute of Marine Sciences), investigates the role of cruise tourism, luxury tourism and its economic effects on the Italian tourism economy. The role of ports in Italy and the MSC case are investigated in terms of sustainable tourism, with particular attention to the pollution of the various environmental matrices.
“The numbers of this strong development of cruise tourism speak clearly: the number of beds on ships has increased from 185,000 in 1998 to around 685,000 in 2021. But a further increase is expected, with around 160,000 new berths (between 2022 and 2027), numbers that can be achieved through 76 new shipbuilding commissions, for a total value of around 50 trillion dollars. The European shipbuilding industry can count on a leading position at world level thanks to the numerous shipyards specialized in both construction and repair and maintenance. In fact, of the 141 ships that entered service between 2010 and 2021, 130 were built in Europe (93%), while another 69 (91% of the global order book) will be delivered between 2022 and 2027 for an estimated value of around 48 trillion dollars”, as cited in the new publication by Coviello and Somma.
The economist Coviello, who is the scientific director of the research project in “Destination Management” for the valorization of the territories of the Neapolitan Institute of the Cnr and professor in the Department of Economics/Green Economy (Degree in Economics, Management and Sustainability) at the Suor Orsola Benincasa University of Naples (in “sharing of Cnr staff”), retraces the line of research in the field of tourism (sustainable, luxury, etc.), after having published specific chapters on Luxury Tourism in the previous “Reports on Italian tourism” (in the XXIV and XXV editions, until 2022), published by Cnr Edizioni in “open access”.
Cruise tourism is experiencing a period of great development and, above all, of great change at a time when travel sustainability has become an increasingly required condition in the choices of travelers. The destinations chosen and the ports that host these large cruise ships become drivers for the development of the territories involved.
“Looking carefully at the rankingAmong the Mediterranean ports that handle the largest cruise-related tourist flows, Barcelona stands out in first place, albeit with little deviation from the performance of Civitavecchia, now in second place. The two ports also share similar changes compared to the previous year: +320-325% of passengers handled and +190% of ships called. They are followed by Marseille (1.4 million passengers), Palma de Mallorca (1.3 million cruise passengers). Immediately after, in 5th place, there is the port of Naples, which shows a growth that appears to be constantly increasing: approximately 1 million and 150 thousand passengers in 2022 (+354% on 2021) and approximately 500 moorings (+200% compared to 2021)”, underlines Coviello.
“It has been estimated that by 2027 The ocean cruise fleet will reflect significant progress in the cruise industry’s quest for a cleaner, more efficient future. In detail: 174 cruise ships will be equipped with shore-based power systems, 26 cruise ships will be powered by liquefied natural gas, and 81% of global capacity will be equipped with advanced wastewater treatment systems, pursuing the goal of zero-carbon cruising by 2050. Cruise ships have a negative environmental impact on port cities. While the most polluted cruise ports in Europe are Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, the Italian ports of Venice, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Naples, Genoa and La Spezia are among the most polluted in the world,” clarifies researcher Renato Somma, who however underlines that several cruise companies (MSC Crociere and Costa Crociere, mainly for Italians) are working in a more ecological direction. “MSC, for example, has equipped 13 of its 19 ships with the EGCS system to reduce ships’ sulphur oxide emissions by 97% through an exhaust gas scrubbing water collection system that can operate in a closed loop at 74% of berths.”
“At the same time, cruise ship companies are increasingly focusing on sustainability as a marketing strategy. Many cruise lines offer a variety of shore excursion programs that focus on sustainability based on the criteria provided by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s “Industry Standard.” The range of sustainable shore excursions offers visits to national parks, wildlife rehabilitation centers, biodynamic farms, and sustainable businesses. Transportation for these excursions can include carbon-neutral hiking, cycling, paddle boarding, or sailing instead of a bus tour. Because the shore excursions are locally sourced, they create jobs that benefit local communities,” explains economist Coviello.
“The best-selling product in the intermediated market for Italy is urban tourism in cities of notable artistic and archaeological interest (57.3% of the surveyed Tour Operators), second are itinerant tours (38.8%), third are seaside stays (35%), fourth are food and wine tourism (17.3%). Next are mountain stays (15.4%) and sports-related stays (11.9%). As for the type of cruise tourism customers, the younger generations represent the future of cruises: 88% of “Millennials” and 86% of “Gen-X” travelers who have already taken a cruise before say they want to do it again. Millennials are the most interested, as are the other generations considered. To attract more first-time cruisers and meet the needs of repeat cruisers, cruise companies are offering both shorter and longer cruises. As a result, while the average cruise length remains 7 days, the range of cruise duration options has expanded,” concludes Coviello.
It is expected that the luxury market consumer base will grow from around 400 million people in 2022 to 500 155 million by 2030, worth between 540 and 580 billion euros by the end of the current decade, compared to 156 to 353 billion euros estimated in 2022. (Figure 7). The share of the most important customers is growing and will represent approximately 157 40% of the market value in 2022, compared to 35% last year. These consumers are hungry for unique products and experiences, setting in motion the VIC (very important client) strategies of brands, including the cruise industry itself.