The city of Venice is unique in the sense that it is entirely maritime based. That being said, the monitoring of maritime traffic in the Venetian lagoon is critical to a smooth running harbor. The Venetian Port Authority created the Venezia Terminal Passeggeri S.p.A. (VTP) to oversee non-cargo ships in the harbor. VTP monitors ferries, private and public yachts, hydrofoils and the largest of all, cruise ships.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Statistics 3 Other Roles 4 See Also 5 Resources

Overview

In 1997, the Venetian Port Authority recognized the rapidly increasing passenger traffic within the Port of Venice. Deciding to separate passengers from cargo, the port authority founded the VTP. Since its inception, the VTP has been charged with overseeing the four terminals in Venice: Stazione Maritima, San Basilio, Santa Marta and Riva Settemartiri. San Basilio accommodates small to medium cruise ships, yachts, ferries and hydrofoils, as does Santa Marta. Riva Settemarti is a berth for yachts only. The Stazione Marittima is used for large cruise ships and ferries. However, in the summer months when cruise call numbers peak, the other three terminals will accept large cruise ships as well. When the VTP took over, these terminals were decrepit and all but obsolete. They had once served as unloading stations for cargo ships, but eventually fell into very poor condition. The VTP teamed up with the port authority to transform these locations to better suit the rise in passenger ship traffic. Since 1997, the terminals have been continuously renovated, and now sport modern facilities.

The company is organized much like American corporations. A board of directors oversees the general business of the company. There is a president, who answers to the board, as well as directly controls the rest of the company. The company is broken up into departments, such as safety, security, general operations and event planning. Within general operations exist two separate teams: one to manage hydrofoils, and another to manage ferries and cruises.

Statistics

Since 1997, the VTP has kept detailed statistics of the passenger vessels in the port, down to the very last person on board. These figures illustrate a steady but rapid increase in the presence of cruise ships in the harbor. The years between 1998 and 2008 saw the number of cruise ship calls (dockings) rise from 227 per year to 535 per year. While cruise calls doubled, cruise passengers almost tripled 335,483 to 1,225,088. VTP doesn’t expect this growth to slow any time soon; they have predicted that 2009 will yield 560 cruise calls and 1,397,981 passengers.

Ferries to and from the East Mediterranean also have shown large numbers over the years. In 2008, 388,605 passengers used these ferries. They hydrofoils, or fast ferries, make the same trip. Between 1997 and 2008, hydrofoil passengers increased from 78,647 to 116,293.

Overall, passenger flow through the Venetian port has increased substantially since the founding of the VTP. Total passenger numbers increased from 708,047 in 1997 to 1,719,986. VTP also forecasts that 2009 will bring 1,885,208 people through the port, 1.2 million more than its first year.

Other Roles

The VTP also serves as a shareholder in many smaller companies that are often tied into the operations of the port. VTP is currently the majority shareholder of Venice Yacht Peir S. r. L., Venice Yachts and Ship Assistance and VTP Events S. r. L..

See Also

1. Cruise Ships
2. World Travel and Tourism Council
3. The Port of Venice

Resources

"Company." VTP Venezia Terminal Passeggeri . http://www.vtp.it/pages/azienda.jsp?idm=QV9U4KV1T7NUJU79NCV910SK3R3G36W2&m=0 (accessed December 12, 2009).

"Company Structure." VTP Venezia Terminal Passeggeri. http://www.vtp.it/pages/aziendaDetail.jsp?idm=L33YB719FP1U70AV103VM8WQ849A724C&prg=1&n=null (accessed December 12, 2009).

"Ferries." VTP Venezia Terminal Passeggeri. http://www.vtp.it/pages/navi/traghetti.jsp?m=3 (accessed December 12, 2009).

"Grand Princess : Princess Cruises®." Princess Cruises® : Official Cruise Line Website. http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/ap/index.html (accessed December 12, 2009).

"Venezia Terminal Passeggeri Statistics." VTP Venezia Terminal Passeggeri. http://www.vtp.it/pages/statistiche.jsp?m=7 (accessed December 12, 2009).