Genoa Boat Show opens with protocol dispute after Mayor Salis excluded from stage

Protocol dispute at ribbon cutting

The 66th Genoa International Boat Show opened on 1 October 2026 at the Waterfront di Levante with an unexpected protocol omission. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took the stage for the inaugural ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside Liguria Region President Marco Bucci and Confindustria Nautica President Piero Formenti. Genoa Mayor Silvia Salis, the centre-left leader of the host city, was not called to join them on stage. Following the ceremony, Salis addressed reporters regarding her exclusion from the official proceedings.

I would just like to recall that we are on loan to the institutions, the institutions are not ours. But I must say that if the goal, as rumoured, was to take attention away from me, I do not think it was achieved.

Institutional explanations and political reactions

Palazzo Chigi reported that Meloni expressed surprise and disappointment when noticing the absence of Salis on the stage. Meloni questioned Formenti directly during the ceremony and learned that the omission was an organizational error. Meloni later telephoned Salis, who stated her regret over what she termed an institutional slight to the city of Genoa while noting that responsibilities remained to be clarified. Formenti told reporters that the boat show is the mayor's home and denied any deliberate snub. Bucci stated that the exclusion was entirely a ceremonial matter about which he had no prior knowledge, adding that his own presence on stage was not originally scheduled. Regional councillor and former minister Andrea Orlando criticized the stage lineup, while Democratic Party MEP Brando Benifei and regional secretary Davide Natale accused the governing coalition of intentional political exclusion.

Industry figures and market trends

The 66th edition of the Genoa International Boat Show runs from 1 to 6 October 2026, hosting more than 1,000 vessels and exhibitors representing 45 countries. Following the opening formalities, Meloni and Salis both visited the exhibition stand of the Lega Navale Italiana, joined by Coast Guard General Commander Admiral Sergio Liardo. Lega Navale Italiana President Donato Marzano presented figures on the broader boating market during the visit. Data from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and Confindustria Nautica shows a widening divergence between high-end manufacturing and smaller vessels. Between 2015 and 2024, registrations for pleasure craft in Italy decreased by 22%, while registrations for small boats dropped by 35.7%.

Marine programs and diplomatic statements

Marzano stated that boating must not become an activity reserved for a few, calling for actions to lower social and financial barriers to sea access. The Lega Navale Italiana organized several events across the exhibition schedule, including an Incontri di Vela session on 3 October 2026 at 11:00 with sailors Francesca Clapcich, Ambrogio Beccaria, Luca Rosetti, Tullio Picciolini, and meteorologist Riccardo Ravagnan. On the sidelines of the event, Meloni addressed foreign affairs regarding the Giulio Regeni case, defending the maintenance of diplomatic channels with Egypt following a non-final court ruling. Meloni stated that cutting diplomatic ties would create greater difficulties and noted that dialogue had originally been restored under the government of Paolo Gentiloni.