Undersecretary Manlio Di Stefano spoke this morning at the webinar “Developing Sustainable Cruise Tourism” organized by IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association).
IORA is an international organization founded in 1997 with the aim of facilitating trade and investment between countries bordering the Indian Ocean and of promoting sustainable economic cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, maritime safety, fisheries management, disaster management, academic, scientific and technological cooperation, tourism and cultural exchanges and, since 2014, the blue economy. Last year Italy obtained the status of dialogue partner within the organization.
“Tourism – the Undersecretary stated – is certainly among the sectors most affected by the pandemic and this has had disastrous socio-economic effects for the coastal communities that depend on it. Italy was the first country where the cruise industry prudently began to operate again, developing specific health safety protocols in cooperation with national authorities and international experts. The aim of this webinar today is to share experiences and best practices, thinking together about possible future scenarios for this sector”.