Ravenna to Host ‘Adriatic Sea Forum – Cruise, Ferry, Sail & Yacht’ Event for First Time in October

The curtain is set to rise on the seventh edition of “Adriatic Sea Forum – Cruise, Ferry, Sail & Yacht”, an itinerant international event dedicated to maritime tourism in the Adriatic, devised and organised by Risposte Turismo, a research and consulting company at the service of the tourism macro-industry.

Taking place this year in partnership with the Port of Ravenna Authority, the event is scheduled to take place in Ravenna, Italy, one of the most representative cities for the maritime tourism sector, on Thursday 24 and Friday 25 October 2024.

The two-day forum – since 2013, a key event for all operators in the cruise, ferry, sailing and yachting sectors – will be held in the setting of the Dante Alighieri Theatre and Palazzo Rasponi dalle Teste.

According to Risposte Turismo President Francesco di Cesare, the Adriatic Sea Forum will once again offer an opportunity for all the operators in the cruise, ferry, sailing and yachting sector to extend their knowledge of tourism phenomena in the area and form new professional connections or strengthen existing relationships, as well as promote their own activities and projects.

“The aim of this forum for encounters, debate and further study is to foster the sharing of ideas, facilitate the development of new projects and launch shared strategies and collaborations among operators,” di Cesare said.

Host city

Port of Ravenna Authority. Photo source: Risposte Turismo / © Giorgio Biserni

The port of Ravenna is investing 100 million euros in projects linked to the ecological transition and the environmental sustainability of the port activities in the local area, according to Port of Ravenna Authority President Daniele Rossi.

“Linked to this vision are the creation of a cold ironing system that runs on green energy, incentives for moving towards the use of more sustainable vehicles and equipment on the quay, the Parco delle Dune project to turn an area near the passenger terminal into a green area, the construction of a new, high-tech, eco-sustainable maritime station and a large photovoltaic park, a strong drive towards digitalisation and support for a series of private investments that will make the port of Ravenna the energy hub of Italy,” Rossi said.

The themes of the seventh edition of the forum

The numerous roundtables, speeches and presentations that will be featured in the seventh edition of Adriatic Sea Forum – Cruise, Ferry, Sail & Yacht will once again offer an opportunity to analyse the challenges facing maritime tourism in the Adriatic:

– the use of alternative fuels to make sea traffic more sustainable,
– the impact of public projects and policies on maritime tourism in the Adriatic,
– the sustainability of ports and cruise terminals and how to integrate them into the fabric of the local area,
– the possibility of extending the tourism season and maintaining a high flow of maritime tourists throughout the year,
– and the value of cruises aboard small-medium ships in this stretch of sea.

Among the other key themes in the forum will be the new itineraries and destinations for nautical tourism in the Adriatic, the possible competition between ferries and air travel, and the appeal of the maritime tourism segment in the Adriatic for new professionals in the sector.

Registration is required to take part in the Adriatic Sea Forum – Cruise, Ferry, Sail & Yacht, which will be held in English, with translations in Italian and Croatian.

The 2024 edition of the forum will be held in collaboration with the Municipality of Ravenna and the Chamber of Commerce of Ferrara and Ravenna, and under the patronage of the European Commission.

Updates, information and details on how to take part can be found on the website adriaticseaforum.com, as well as on X and LinkedIn.

The Greek Travel Pages (GTP) is a communication sponsor of the 7th Adriatic Sea Forum.