TRIESTE – More than 340 million euros in investments for sea tourism in Adriatic ports completed in 2026, of which 252 million in Italy and around 90 million in the Balkan countries.
The figures emerge from the Adriatic Sea Tourism Report 2026, the research report by Risposte Turismo which will be presented during the eighth edition of Adriatic Sea Forum – Cruise, Ferry, Sail & Yacht, scheduled in Venice on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June at the Auditorium delle Procuratie and the Aula Magna Silvio Trentin of Ca’ Foscari University.
On the Italian Adriatic coast, the main investments concern the electrification of berths. In Ravenna, 68 million euros have been allocated to the operational launch of the new maritime station at Porto Corsini and to the implementation of the cold ironing system. Ancona has invested 9.8 million euros in the electrification of ferry berths. In Venice, 90 million euros have been allocated to cold ironing both in the island city and in the Porto Marghera and Fusina area. In Chioggia, in addition to 6 million euros for cold ironing, maintenance dredging works worth almost 9 million euros are under way.
In the lagoon ports, commissioner-led projects on the Vittorio Emanuele and Malamocco-Marghera channels and the terminal on the North Channel are continuing, with investments already funded for a total of 135 million euros. The environmental impact assessment for the latter is still under way.
On the Balkan coast, investments are concentrated mainly in Croatia. The completion of the new ACI Marina Rijeka at Porto Baroš is worth 50 million euros. In Split, the new ferry terminal was built for more than 17 million euros, while in Šibenik the new 8 million euro cruise hub was inaugurated. In Baška, port redevelopment works worth 5.4 million euros have been completed. A further 9 million euros concern the expansion of berths at Marina Korkyra, Luka Brna and Luka Vela Jana in Croatia, Luka Budva in Montenegro and Marina Izola in Slovenia.
«Our analysis highlights strong momentum on both shores of the Adriatic, with projects ranging from the construction of terminals to dredging, from the opening of new nautical marinas to the energy efficiency improvement of ports», commented Francesco di Cesare, president of Risposte Turismo.
Adriatic Sea Forum 2026, organised by Risposte Turismo in partnership with the North Adriatic Sea Port System Authority, will address topics such as the future of the Adriatic as a tourist destination, the impacts of climate change on maritime tourism, sustainable mobility and the role of ferries in promoting the area as an integrated destination.
