The municipality of Savona, the Port Authority of Savona, and Costa Cruises signed a three-year memorandum of understanding for sustainable development in the cruise sector in Savona on Tuesday.
The agreement calls for joint initiatives in the cruise industry to head responsible growth in Savona, which was Italy’s fourth busiest cruise port in 2014. The main initiative areas included in this agreement focus on social and economic impact, environmental protection, and communication of the results that are achieved.
Costa Cruises is involved in a series of initiatives aimed at thorough management of energy resources and limiting environmental impact with more eco-friendly systems onboard their ships, as well as undergoing construction of the first cruise ships powered by liquefied natural gas, the cleanest fossil fuel in the world. They are to be delivered in 2019 and 2020, with Savona to be the homeport of the first one.
The initiatives set in the agreement will also involve vehicular traffic to and from the Palacrociere, providing special communications to guests to give those arriving by car preference.
Activities are already underway to monitor the noise impact of ships during port operations, as well as additional improvements to the current ship waste recycling and disposal process. In the social and economic areas, there are plans to consolidate relationships with the local communities. Palacrociere’s second terminal will increase cruise traffic in the future, creating new jobs. Efforts will also be made in terms of training for young people from Savona at the Palacrociere, as well as courses on tourism for existing employees.
The joint management will improve tourist welcoming and information services for cruise passengers, and development is being planning alongside local associations.
