The cruise industry is back, after the Covid pandemic, with 3.3 million passengers reported in the Adriatic Sea in 2022. It involves Italian coast and those of Croatia, Bosnia, Greece, Albania, Slovenia and Montenegro. These are key issues in the analysis of the “Adriatic Sea Forum – Cruise, Ferry, Sail & Yacht”.

Some 18 million passengers on ferries and hydrofoils in the Adriatic Sea are up 26% on 2021. Bari is the first destination in the Adriatic for international routes.

The forum will register the participation of operators of the cruise, ferry and nautical sectors from seven countries overlooking the Adriatic with a strong calling for maritime tourism thanks to the presence of over 150 tourist destinations across 25 regions.

While awaiting forecasts for 2023, ‘Risposte Turismo’ anticipates forecasts for the end of 2022 with a cruise traffic which at the end of the year will reach in the Adriatic 3.3 million tourists, up 232% on 2021 thanks to the 2,936 stopovers of cruise ships (+195% on 2021).

The doubling of cruise traffic compared to 2021 is encouraging. But it remains just over half of that recorded in 2019 before the start of the pandemic, when 5.7 million passengers had been in movement.

Adriatic cruises: Durres competes for the second position

The 2022 ranking sees Corfù at the helm with more than half a million passengers expected and 411 ship docking; in front of Kotor (400,000 passengers in movement and 440 ship arrivals) and Trieste (380,000 passengers in movement and 230 docking). At the end of the year Italy will get the first place for the number of passengers in movement (1.36 million, or 40% of the total); in front of Croatia (900,000 passengers) and Greece (560,000 passengers).

Croatia, instead, will register at the end of 2022 the highest number of ship docking (995) in front of Italy (927) and Montenegro (453). Regarding ferries and hydrofoils are concerned, the numbers of the Adriatic Sea Tourism Report showed at the end of 2022 in Adriatic ports nearly 18 million passengers in movement; (+26% on 2021 and the result close to the 20 million – record numbers – recorded in 2019).

At the end of 2022, Bari is expected to be confirmed as the first port in the Adriatic for passengers in movement on international routes (nearly 800,000), ahead of Durres in Albania and Ancona competing for second position with some 690,000 passengers in movement. In all three ports ferries are in movement for 100% of international routes.