OREANDA-NEWS. Savona celebrates 10 million cruise passengers, a historical milestone from when the first cruise ship, the Costa Riviera, called on the Ligurian port in 1996.

The ten millionth cruise passenger is an Italian guest, Paola Braschi from Genoa, who was on vacation on the Costa Diadema with her husband and two children. The award presented to Mrs. Braschi by Costa Cruises is a cabin on the “Around-the-World” cruise: a fantastic 98-day cruise departing from Savona on 2 September 2016 on board the Costa Luminosa that will circumnavigate the globe on a voyage to discover 5 continents.

The Municipality of Savona honoured the ten millionth cruise passenger with a pass, included in a letter signed by Culture Councillor Elisa Di Padova, which will allow free entrance to the Civic Museums Savona until the end of 2016, giving her the chance to discover the great cultural and artistic heritage of the city.

“We are delighted to be able to celebrate this historical achievement” – declared Neil Palomba, President of Costa Cruises - “It is a clear indicator of how much Savona and Costa Cruises have grown together over nearly 20 years of working effectively side-by-side. Today, Savona is our number one port in the world. That’s why we decided to award the ten millionth guest an Around-the World cruise, a truly special voyage that’s the dream of all travellers”.

“I am particularly thrilled and honoured to be able to be part of this prestigious milestone achieved thanks to the commitment and daily efforts of the more than 200 employees who take care of each and every detail, and of the entire port community, to which I express my gratitude. At the end of this year about one hundred thousand cruise passengers will have visited the city of Savona and transited through our welcoming office. Another important result within the objective of constantly improving services for tourists arriving in our port and visiting our area” –declared the President of the Port Authority of Savona, Gian Luigi Miazza.

"Slightly less than twenty years ago it was unimaginable to think that today we would be celebrating the ten millionth passenger linked to the cruise activities that today can be considered a crowning achievement for the port of Savona. This is an important milestone not only in terms of figures, but above all as regards our city’s development potential" –declared the Mayor of Savona, Federico Berruti.

Since 1996, the number of cruise passengers in Savona has increased constantly, thanks to the presence of Costa Cruises ships. According to Clia Europe, in 2014 Savona was the fourth leading cruise port in Italy, with about one million passengers. Important milestones during this period of growth include the inauguration of the Palacrociere terminal in 2003, the construction of the third berth in 2008 and the opening of the second Palacrociere terminal in November 2014. Overall, from 2003 to 2015, Costa Cruises and the Port Authority of Savona have invested nearly 30 million Euros in Savona.