In 2026, cruise traffic in Italian ports will record a new record of 15.4 million passengers, with an increase of +2.6% on expected values in 2025, and 5,680 berths of ships from cruise (+2.7%). This is predicted by Risposte Turismo, a research and consultancy, which today presented in Catania the new edition of its "Italian Cruise Watch" report in opening of the twelfth edition of Italian Cruise Day, the forum itinerant for the Italian cruise industry conceived and organized by the company, this year in partnership with the Italian Regulatory Authority of the Eastern Sicilian Sea System.

According to Risposte Turismo, in 2026 the port of Civitavecchia will will once again confirm the first cruise port Italian and among the main ones in the world, reaching 3.7 million passengers handled (embarkations, disembarkations and transits, +4.8% on 2025) thanks to 900 berths (+1.1% on 2025). To his behind, the positions of 2025 confirmed, with Naples in second (about 1.9 million passengers, -5.9%, and just over 500 berths, -9.8%) and Genoa in third (about 1.7 million passengers, in line with 2025, and 320 berths, -3.0%). Next year, in addition to Civitavecchia, will record their historical record of cruise traffic also the ports of Genoa, Palermo (over a 1 million passengers, +5.7%, and 280 stopovers, -1.1%), Messina (over 805 thousand passengers, +5.7%, and 298 berths, +17.8%), Cagliari, (over 600 thousand passengers, +27.3%, and 187 ship calls, +12.7%), Ravenna (with 390 thousand passengers, +57.9%, and about a hundred berths, +15.4%), Salerno (with over 370 thousand passengers, +183.7%, and a little more of 170 approaches, +88%) and, finally, Catania (where the 300 thousand passengers handled, +48.9%, thanks to just over 130 approaches, +37.5%).

Among the most significant changes expected, moreover, there are report the ports of Salerno where the expected three-digit growth It will allow the port to handle over 370 thousand passengers (+183.7% on 2025) and over 170 berths (+88%), Ravenna, where 390 thousand passengers (+57.9%) and about a hundred calls are expected ship (+15.4%), in addition to the aforementioned Catania.

With regard to Catania, the president of the Port System of the Eastern Sicilian Sea, Francesco Di Sarcina, highlighted that the new Port Master Plan Sicilian, awaited for 47 years, provides four docks for ships new generation passengers, a maritime station of 5,000 square meters and a further 160 million in investments. A works completed, eastern Sicily will have eight quays for cruises and three maritime stations, reaching a potential of more than 1.5 million passengers per year.