Liguria is the Italian region that draws the greatest benefits from the presence of Costa Group, with a contribution of 511 million euros to the local economy and the creation of over 3,200 jobs, including 1,100 generated directly. In addition to hosting the company's head office in Genoa, Liguria also features three homeports (Savona, Genoa and La Spezia) where Costa Cruises and Aida Cruises call regularly, with a total passenger throughput of approximately 1.2 million in 2019. In 2017, Costa Cruises and the Italian Merchant Navy Academy Foundation, in cooperation with the Liguria Region, inaugurated the Accademia Ospitalità Italiana Crociere, Italy's first training academy for on-board hotellerie positions, which to date has trained almost 500 individuals, 94% of whom have been employed directly on board the cruise liners' ships.
In Genoa in 2018 Costa contributed over 280 million euros to the local economy and created over 1,800 jobs. A further increase is expected in 2019 with the weekly Friday port of call of Costa Fortuna in Genoa since the end of March, registering a total of over 170,000 passengers, which will rise to 185,000 in 2020 with the replacement of Costa Fortuna with Costa Pacifica.
With a total cruise passenger throughput of 850,000 in 2018, Savona is the main homeport of the Costa Cruises brand, which directly operates both terminals of Palacrociere. The contribution of Costa Group to Savona's local economy is 125 million euros and 700 jobs. A further increase is expected over the next few years, with the arrival of Costa Smeralda, the new liquefied natural gas-powered flagship with low environmental impact, scheduled to call at Savona and La Spezia every week from the end of 2019. In order to cater for the specific requirements of Costa Smerlada, works on the main quay and the Palacrociere terminal building are near completion, for a total investment programme of over 20 million euros financed by Costa and the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority.
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