Organizers described the meeting as the first step in an effort to break down the barriers between the two and generate new economic opportunities for a city that has been on the downward slide for years.

 

He is also very much committed to the port, which is a more important economic contributor in Naples than just about anywhere else. A little tourism aside, Naples has very little landside industry.

The port has become an increasingly important contributor to the economy of the city and the region, particularly since the explosion of growth in cruise ship calls and containerized cargo volumes over the last two decades.

A comprehensive analysis of the port’s economic impact is underway as the last such study carried out 15 years ago found that it generated substantial added value to the local economy as well as 5,230 direct jobs, 7,357 indirect jobs and 22,000 sub-contracted jobs.

The port’s growth over the last two decades has been impressive, suggesting that its contribution to the region’s economy is now considerably greater than in 1996. It generated €693.3m in revenues in 2010, 39% up on the level recorded in 1992, and direct added value of €277.3m, a jump of 42% over the same period.

Direct employment fell, by 5% to 4,993 jobs between 1992 and 2010. At the same time, Capasso estimates the cruise sector generates 556 jobs today compared with just 19 in 1992, consistent with a surge in passenger throughput from 33,610 passengers in 1992 to 1,139,319 last year.

Among the cruise-specific developments now under consideration to boost those numbers further included the opening of the Molo San Vincenzo, near the city centre, as a cruise berth, and the enhancement of facilities for passengers wishing to tour the historic city centre.