Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has announced Genoa, Italy, will be host to the 2024 European Summit and the new CLIA Innovation Expo.
Both events will be part of a week of activities during 11-14 March 2024 focused on innovation, sustainability, and community.
In partnership with the Ligurian Region, Municipality of Genoa, the Ports of Genoa, and Chamber of Commerce of Genoa, cruise line executives, industry innovators, and political leaders will gather to showcase the industry’s role in providing environmental and tourism management solutions.
The CLIA Innovation Expo is a new forum for companies currently supplying, or interested in supplying, the cruise industry, with a focus on maritime technology, and hospitality. The Expo will showcase solutions and products from across Europe, Italy, and in particular Liguria and the surrounding regions.
The CLIA Innovation Expo will include an innovation hub where technology developers and suppliers across various categories will introduce and discuss new products and solutions for the industry. A Taste of Cruise Pavilion will include a culinary demonstration area and connect hotel, food, and beverage suppliers with cruise line decisionmakers in procurement and operations to explore new offerings.
The European Summit will build on the successful Summit in Genoa 2022 and Paris 2023, which brought together institutional representatives and stakeholders from across the supply chain to debate key policy issues and developments.
Pierfrancesco Vago, global chairman, CLIA, and executive chairman, MSC Cruises, said: “Sustainability and innovation are the hallmarks of the cruise industry, and this week of activities will demonstrate this unequivocally.
“The entire cruise industry will send representatives, including senior executives and buyers, making this a unique opportunity for anyone who wants to engage with our industry to come and showcase their products, solutions, and services. This is the first time that these events will take place, and Genoa, as a leading European cruise port and a centre for shipbuilding and marine technology development, is a perfect match.”
Featured Image: MSC Magnifica & MSC Poesia departing Genoa. (Supplied)
