IMTA sets 25th int'l conference in Venice

The International Maritime Transit Association, whose members include ferry operators, naval architects, manufacturers, suppliers, shipyards, government agencies, marine engineering and planning consultants, university faculty and specialists in maritime safety and training, will have its 25th annual conference in Venice from Oct. 23 to 26 hosted by IMTA president Giorgio Miani.

Each year, IMTA organizes a conference in a different world ferryport. Last year's conference was held in Cebu City and hosted by its president, John Warbey, general manager of FBM Marine International of London.

The world's ferries constitute an impressive array of marine craft and systems. They represent in their own right an enormous industry to marine suppliers, designers and builders, and one which has undergone massive change within the past several decades. They provide critical links in intermodal transportation systems for passengers, vehicles, and freight. New fast ferry, information, and ocean technologies have opened new opportunities around the world.

More passengers are ferried each year than the airlines of the world carry. It is an industry destined to grow. More cities located on water are returning to the waterways, which provide economic and environmentally sensitive transportation alternatives to more or bigger bridges, tunnels and highways.