A new initiative aimed at strengthening Italy’s tourist port sector has been launched by SACE and Assonat-Confcommercio. One month after presenting the country’s first Strategic Plan for Tourist Port Infrastructure, the two organisations have opened the first technical committee dedicated to the sector.
The committee is open to stakeholders across the maritime tourism supply chain, a sector valued at €180 billion and involving around 230,000 businesses in Italy, supporting employment for more than one million people nationwide.
The technical committee will focus on identifying investment priorities and promoting measures to modernise and improve the efficiency of port infrastructure. SACE will act as a facilitator for businesses seeking financial and insurance solutions to support investments, in collaboration with local authorities, financial institutions and the non-profit One Ocean Foundation, which is committed to ocean protection and marine biodiversity.
The strategic plan, developed by Assonat-Confcommercio with SACE, was introduced last June by Luciano Serra, President of Assonat-Confcommercio, alongside government and maritime officials including Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policy Nello Musumeci, and Commander General of the Port Authority Corps Admiral Nicola Carlone.
The plan identifies three priority areas for development, including facilities, competitiveness and sustainability, based on an analysis of Italy’s ports. It also calls for a clearer regulatory framework and urges institutions to create a bill dedicated to tourist port infrastructure.
Among its proposals is a national masterplan for tourist ports, organised by region, to map and upgrade existing infrastructure. The plan would establish shared standards for redevelopment according to vessel size and type, with an emphasis on environmental sustainability, logistical efficiency and links with surrounding urban areas. It also recommends targeted incentives to encourage the renovation, restructuring and expansion of existing ports.
With over 800 tourist ports, landing sites and mooring points, and 162,000 berths along 7,700 kilometres of coastline across 15 coastal regions, Italy’s tourist port network is a key driver of the country’s coastal economy.
The next phase for the initiative will be the Genoa Boat Show, scheduled from 18-23 September, which is expected to host industry representatives, exhibitors and visitors.
