TRIESTE – In 2026 cruise traffic at Italian ports will reach a new all-time high with 15.1 million passengers, up 2% on 2025.
The figure comes from forecasts by Cemar Agency Network presented at Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami and confirms a phase of expansion for the sector, supported by demand and by an increasingly diversified offer.
On the operational side, the increase is more marked: ship calls will reach 5,913 (+7.86%), with 185 vessels operating and 58 companies involved across 77 Italian ports. Part of the growth also concerns the small-ship segment, with 935 dedicated calls. The port ranking still shows a strong concentration in the Tyrrhenian area: Civitavecchia remains in first place with 3.78 million passengers, followed by Naples and Genoa.
The Northern Adriatic, by contrast, maintains a more distributed presence. Venice returns to the national top 10, while the other ports in the area – Trieste and Ravenna – contribute to the overall system without reaching the volumes of the main Tyrrhenian hubs. The figure confirms an already established trend: the Adriatic is growing in a more balanced way, with more widely distributed traffic and greater integration between cruises, limited home port operations and transit calls, also in relation to operating restrictions in Venice and the redefinition of Mediterranean itineraries.
Overall, growth is supported by two main factors: the extension of traffic beyond the traditional season, which is pushing flows into the autumn months as well, and the introduction of new-generation vessels with greater environmental efficiency. Initial estimates point to a further increase in 2027 as well, with traffic expected to exceed 15.2 million passengers.