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MSC Cruises expects to reach the record of 250,000 passengers handled in Italy on August 15th. There are 12 ships of the company, out of a total of 22 in the fleet, which will set sail in the Mediterranean for the cruises on August 15, making a total of 63 calls in 15 Italian ports.
During the stops in the port, the company reports, «as many as 250,000 cruise passengers handled by the company in these ports will disembark from the ships to visit the surrounding areas, with an estimated economic impact of around 25 million euros. It is a new record that MSC ships set thanks to planning that sees Italy at the center of growth strategies».
Four cities will have the greatest benefits
The cities that will benefit most from the tourist and economic induced generated by the arrival of the cruise ships of the Aponte group during the August 15th period are Genoa, Civitavecchia, Naples, Palermo and Bari.
«The record of passengers that we will record on August 15th in Italian ports – says Leonardo Massa, managing director of MSC Cruises – is the result of the growth of our fleet, which this year has reached 22 units in service. The Mediterranean and Italy are therefore confirmed as the undisputed protagonists of this summer. But the boom in bookings in the mare nostrum concerns the whole of 2023 and not just this high season period».
Strong Mediterranean even in winter
In fact, continues Massa, “Italians are choosing our cruises for next autumn and winter as well, which sail towards the tourist destinations of the Mediterranean, which are therefore confirmed as attractive not only in the warm periods but throughout the year”.