ACQUARIO DI GENOVA PRESS PACK CONTENTS. 1) Acquario di Genova: a successful facility boasting over 24 million visitors

Transcription

1 ACQUARIO DI GENOVA PRESS PACK CONTENTS 1) Acquario di Genova: a successful facility boasting over 24 million visitors 2) The reasons behind its success A clear and strong environmental awareness mission The visitor is at the centre The innovation continues The Costa Edutainment integrated system 3) The new Cetaceans Pavilion 4) A night with the sharks 5) CrocierAcquario - boat trips on the paths of the Cetaceans 6) Acquario di Genova and Costa Edutainment: a brief profile Press office Costa Edutainment Acquario di Genova Tel stampaacquariodigenova@costaedutainment.it December 2014

2 ACQUARIO DI GENOVA A SUCCESSFUL FACILITY BOASTING OVER 24 MILLION VISITORS The Acquario di Genova was built on the occasion of the Expo 92, a celebration of the fifth centenary of the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus, with the intention of restructuring and enhancing an area full of history and traditions, located in the heart of Genoa s historic centre. the Porto Antico (the old port). The project for the area and the Acquario is by the Genoese architect Renzo Piano, whereas the interior design is by the American architect Peter Chermayeff. This is a facility which has a central role for the city and the scientific world; it also offers an extraordinary opportunity within the services and leisure time fields. The aquarium presents the largest variety of ecosystems in Europe. The Acquario di Genova is one of the main Italian cultural attractions; it boasts over one million and two hundred thousand visitors per year and over 24 millions since its opening. It is managed by Costa Edutainment S.p.A., leader in Italy of the management of great structures; it develops educational, recreational, cultural, study and scientific research activities. The Acquario di Genova owes its success to different reasons: from the ongoing innovation in terms of tanks, hosted species, tourist offers and communication, to the constant attention to the client, in order to be able to meet the growing request of a qualitative use of the spare time, from the action of environmental awareness on line with the mission of the facility to the integrated system which nowadays links the Acquario di Genova to the other facilities managed by Costa Edutainment in Genoa the Galata Museo del Mare with the submarine Nazario Sauro, the Biosfera, the Bigo panoramic lift, the Museo Nazionale dell Antartide and which makes up the AcquarioVillage world. Through the years Costa Edutainment has invested over 24 million Euros for the facility renewal, with an average annual investment since 1996 of 1.8 million Euros and 34 millions through the years, as well as a yearly fee, which at present is of about 2.5 million Euros, granted to the Porto Antico di Genova S.p.A. for a total of 33 million Euros through the years. Such investment has considerably increased with the new Cetaceans Pavillon, which was inaugurated in July 2013 and that entails a total financial contribution by Costa Edutainment equal to 18 million Euros. The integrated system created between the Acquario di Genova and the other facilities managed on the territory generates a number of visitors equal to 1.7 million a year and a group sales in 2013 of 30 million Euros. From a research carried out by Cerist (research centre for tourism innovation and development) in 2008, it has emerged that the linked activities created by the Acquario di Genova for the city is equal to million Euros, with an average expenditure by the tourists who overnight in the city after the visit to the Acquario equal to 279 per day (Source of the survey Cerist for Confindustria) In 2011, the Acquario di Genova won the third place in the Top 10 most popular attractions in Europe in 2011 by TripAdvisor, the largest travel review site in the world. The list was compiled by selecting the top ten attractions with the highest number of reviews posted by travelers on TripAdvisor.it. In 2012, the Acquario di Genova won the Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor with 4.0 points. In 2014, Facebbok published a survey where the Acquario di Genova was at the 7th place among the most mentioned tourist destinations in Italy.

3 THE REASONS BEHIND THE SUCCESS: A CLEAR AND STRONG MISSION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS The mission of the Acquario di Genova to inform and to raise awareness among the public towards the preservation, management and sustainable use of the aquatic environments, in order to promote positive behaviours has always driven the actions and the commitment of the whole structure. Since its opening, numerous efforts to get involved not only the visitors of the Acquario, but also schools, observers and ordinary citizens have been made; every initiative is always aimed at building up a more responsible relationship with the environment and to stimulate activities, particularly to safeguard the aquatic fauna. The visit: the main spreading tool The main tool of this mission is the visit to the exhibition path, which through the emotional involvement of the public means to communicate important messages for the environment tutelage and enhancement. The rigorous representation of the environments and the careful choice of the scientific information to be passed on to the public are the basis on which the activity of the Acquario di Genova is based on since its opening. On the visit path, the Acquario di Genova has run campaigns to collect funds and signatures for specific themes, on which to raise the general public awareness and also aimed at supporting preservation projects with an international involvement. Among the main campaigns there are the ones promoted by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), of which the Acquario is a member, on amphibians, Madagascar, turtles and tortoises and the international petition for the corals safeguard. The edutainment method. In order to support this effort, several activities have been devised and developed according to the edutainment style, which combine information focused on the aquatic ecosystems with entertainment and play, expanding on the knowledge and stimulating the public proactivity towards the tutelage of the environment, arousing the visitors' curiosity and interest. This model of activity is based on the concept of a unique and distinctive experience, focused on the thrill of learning while having fun; it is used in every action range of the Acquario di Genova, both internal and external, with the objective of contributing to the awareness of large brackets of public. The same edutainment format is used in all the facilities managed by Costa Edutainment in Genoa and in Italy the Acquario di Livorno. Such format combines the information focused on the theme on hand with entertainment and amusement, making the learning process simpler, and also ensuring that the messages put across are absorbed and assimilated, thanks to the greater involvement of the reference target. The transversality of the themes and the connections created among the themes themselves allow Costa Edutainment offering a new way of doing culture. The institutional partnerships Thanks to the know-how acquired through the years and the value of the popular activity carried out among the public, the Acquario di Genova has become in the course of the years a partner of public and private authorities, which acknowledge its educational-popular potential and ask for its cooperation. In 2008 a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of University Education and Research was signed; it sees the Acquario di Genova becoming part of the main structures on a national level for the promotion and enhancement of the environmental education within the educational process of the youngsters in the various orders and levels of education, on a national level. In 2012 this memorandum was renewed for all the facilities managed by Costa Edutainment in Genoa. The Acquario di Genova is a member of important international associations, such as the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and the corresponding association on a global level (WAZA), which have the objective of promoting the cooperation in favour of projects of preservation of endangered species, through annual awareness campaigns and funds collection. It is also part of the European Union of Aquarium Curators (EUAC), of the European Association of Aquatic Mammals (EAAM) and of the World Oceans Network (WON), the international network which gathers more than 600 organizations, specialized in information, education and popular activities regarding themes linked to the sea and the environment. Very important is also the cooperation with the Universities of numerous Italian cities, with regard to educational activities concerning scientific subjects such as biology, environmental and veterinary sciences, ethology, both inside the facility and in situ. Still as a confirmation of the authoritativeness of the Acquario di Genova, since 2003 Slowfood has got Costa Edutainment involved regarding the theme of the conscious fish consumption, both on a planning stage and on the running of educational activities on the occasion of Slowfish.

4 The scientific research The scientific research activities in the field are fundamental; they are realized in cooperation with other research Institutions or Authorities, which have contributed to the knowledge of the status of some species, or to develop new non invasive research techniques; the support actions to promote the set up of areas for the safeguard of endangered species; the active presence within scientific Companies, international Authorities and supranational Organizations, in order to stimulate the start of management policies aimed at endangered species; the spread of the results of research and monitoring activities in order to promote the diffusion of the knowledge and awareness among the general public; assistance to the preservation international programmes; the implementation of emergency interventions for endangered species. Within this range there are: the Emys projects for the preservation of the European pond turtle of the Piana di Albenga, the project "Delfini Metropolitani" (metropolitan dolphins), concerning the study of the presence and habits of the coastal dolphins and their relationship with Man's activities, the scientific cruises to the Maldives with the University of Genoa, to study and monitor the coral reefs after the massive discoloration phenomenon, the cooperation with the "Servizio Cites of the State Forestry Corps for the fostering of endangered protected species. The Fondazione Acquario di Genova Onlus The Fondazione Acquario di Genova ONLUS, a non profit organization which was set up in 2003 in order to strengthen the Acquario s mission. The Foundation has promoted and realized projects within the fields of education, awareness, applied research and preservation, with a particular care to the implications regarding the social aspects, also cooperating with Universities and important international scientific partners. The certification path The Acquario di Genova has always been committed to realize its mission through a concrete commitment for an ongoing qualitative improvement within the company itself, and with a positive and tangible outcome on the company, its partners and the environment. The attention to the quality and safety at work has always flanked the commitment on the environmental front. During 2002, the company decided to formalize these commitments by freely taking on a reorganization process, aimed at adopting management systems to protect these aspects. This is how BEST 4 RINA got started; it is the most comprehensive certification scheme on a global level, which gathers in only one process an integrated management process which refers to the ISO environmental certification, obtained in 2003, the ISO 9001 quality, attained in the month of December 2006 and extended to all the facilities managed by Costa Edutainment since July 2010, and the OHSAS certification for occupational health and safety, achieved in December 2008, renewed in December 2011 and extended to the Acquario di Livorno. The path will be completed with the SA 8000 social accountability certification. Costa Edutainment is aware of the need to ensure conditions of correctness and transparency in the running of its business and related activities; in order to protect its position and image, it has also adopted since 2010 an organizational model according to the Law Decree 231. Within this new model, the company has subscribed to an ethical code which outlines principles and guidelines devised to inspire the company's activities and to steer the behaviour not only of its employees, but also of all the people who the company deals with while carrying out its activity, with the objective of ensuring that its efficiency and reliability are accompanied by an ethical conduct. The environmental awareness in figures The schools and the general public students a year visit the Acquario di Genova - For 90% of the teachers visiting the Acquario di Genova, the activity is an incentive to realize new educational projects at school annual meetings with teachers to introduce the educational offers - Over 400 animations/thematic elaborations for ad hoc projects on the path Acquario di Genova and other Costa Edutainment facilities for over participants. - Topics tackled: marine biology and ecology, science and technology, explorations and history of sailing, water, environmental sustainability, resources safeguard. - Over 300 thematic elaborations and guided tours of the tourist villages Happy Village and Villaggio degli Olivi for contacts on: marine biology, naturalistic tours, conscious fish consumption, responsible diving - 39 educational workshops at external popular events in the year for about students taking part, on: Cetaceans biology and ecology, research project Delfini Metropolitani (metropolitan dolphins), conscious fish consumption

5 - Since 2003, it is also a partner of Slow Food for the Slow Fish Fair - 27 boat trips on the paths of the Cetaceans, realized in cooperation with the WWF and the direct participation to the research project Delfini Metropolitani (metropolitan dolphins) with participants. Scientific research - Delfini Metropolitani (metropolitan dolphins): 12 years of research, hours spent at sea, 280 sightings, Km covered, pictures taken scientific expeditions (2 Antarctica, 6 Madagascar, 3 Mali) - Since 2004, annual participation to the research activity in the Maldives, coordinated by the University of Genoa for the monitoring of the coral reefs. - Coralzoo: 4 years of research, 10 international partners, 9 researchers from the Acquario di Genova involved, 6 experiments on the corals feeding, 2 experiments to test new methods of curing the corals, 2 experiments on the nutrition and interaction between food and light. - Project Emys orbicularis ingauna, a species of Ligurian endemic pond turtle which was considered extinct up to the Nineties and registered in 2004 by the facility's researchers: 15 years of research, 9 years of preservation project, 8 scientific and institutional partners involved, 140 specimens reproduced within a controlled environment, 3 SICs for the reinstatement in nature of the specimens, 24 specimens released back in their natural habitat, 1 Emys Centre for the open air thematic visits, 2 exhibition halls dedicated to the Acquario di Genova and La città dei bambini e dei ragazzi rescue requests received by the A & E department for turtles and cetaceans found in distress on the Italian coasts; 86 specimens of Caretta caretta sea turtle, cared for by the Acquario di Genova and released back in the sea in cooperation with the centre for the studies of the cetaceans, the service CITES of the State Forestry Corps and the Harbour Master's Office. Since 2009, it is the institutional contact for the Regione Liguria for the hospitalization of the Caretta carettas (agreement State-Regions). - 7 new species between reptiles (4 chameleons) and amphibians (3 frogs) discovered and described during the expeditions in Madagascar The publications in support of the popularization catalogues printed on ecological paper - 95% of the popular and information materials are printed on ecological paper copies of the guide supporting the visit are printed on ecological paper - Between 40 and 50 types of different educational cards, as a support of the activities with the schools - Over copies of kits edutainment/brain trainer to allow continuing the popular experience also at home.

6 THE REASONS BEHING THE SUCCESS: THE VISITOR IS AT THE CENTRE Costa Edutainment is the management company of the Acquario di Genova and of the AcquarioVillage world; it has always paid attention to the needs of its public, maintaining with it a direct relationship through the monitoring of the customer's satisfaction and his/her involvement in the activities and interactive experiences. The aim is to come up with adequate offers to meet the requests of an ever increasingly more careful, aware and demanding consumer, who is eager to make a qualitative use of his/her spare time in the company of family or friends, living experiences in the name of relaxation, involvement and high added value. The constant monitoring of the client s satisfaction Since the year 2000, the company involves its visitors through questionnaires and interviews, in order to have a direct feedback about the experience lived in the Acquario di Genova, both in relation to the expectations before the visit and the satisfaction at the end of it. Through constant wave throughout the year, which are run in cooperation with GFK Eurisko, all the aspects linked to the visit are monitored, both in terms of exhibition path including the quantity and diversity of the species, the variety of the reproduced environments, the magnificence of the tanks, the enjoyment of the experience, usefulness of the environmental awareness experience and in terms of services, such as accessibility, reception, information supplied. The index of global satisfaction of the visit to the Acquario di Genova has kept a very high profile through the years, with an average of 7,4 on a scale from 4 to 8 (Eurisko index). On particular occasions, such as the planning of new tanks and new products, qualitative researches were carried out, from which some important elements have emerged: with a strong distinctive identity the Acquario di Genova evokes dream like images, a meeting with nature, care of the animals, wellbeing, fun, amazement and knowledge. The visit s experiences This approach has made Cost Edutainment capable of developing quality products and offers, extended to the whole Costa Edutainment world; they are suitable for all different types of visitor, which go beyond the renewal of the exhibition path and the traditional services, with the aim of drawing up to the world of culture even the most difficult targets, by modernizing the way to use the museum facilities. Within this perspective, with a particular attention to young people, there are offers such as A night with the sharks, the night time experience for children aged between 7 to 13, which has been fully booked for each monthly date for over eight years. For the family target, Costa Edutainment offers as well as the simple nursery, dedicated paths such as CrocierAcquario, which allows to draw close to the world of cetaceans parents and children, getting them involved in a sighting sail in the open sea, within the scientific research project Delfini Metropolitani (metropolitan dolphins). Acquario Village was created with this perspective; this is the world which combines in one offer the Costa Edutainment facilities in Genoa, which thanks to a ticket valid for a year and usable either in one day or throughout more days, allows families to choose freely, according to the time they have available, the most suitable time to live this experience, guaranteeing the utmost flexibility and contributing to offer Genoa as a high standard tourist destination. For the school world, Costa Edutainment develops tailor made solutions, which range from ad hoc workshops for every school range at the Acquario di Genova and in the other managed facilities, to educational activities in the schools themselves. The latter offer was conceived as an answer to the increasing difficulty of the schools to organize didactic and educational events outside the classrooms. The visitor of the Acquario di Genova in figures - Over the annual average of visitors of the Acquario di Genova - 7,4 is the average satisfaction index of the visit (Eurisko) - 60% of visitors is composed of families with children - 11% by organized tourism - 10% by schools - 68% of visitors have a medium to high professional profile - 40% of visitors have returned again to visit the facility (repeat customers)

7 - about 5% of visitors repeat the visit several times in the course of the same year. - 44% of visitors come from North West Italy - 11% from the Liguria Region - 16% from the North East of Italy - 18% from Central Italy - 16% from the South of Italy and the Islands - 3% are foreigners: particularly Germans, British, French, Swiss and Americans.

8 THE REASONS BEHING THE SUCCESS: THE INNOVATION CONTINUES One of the keys of the success of the Acquario di Genova is the continuous renewal philosophy, which has led the facility to acquire year after year new tanks, new visitors and new offers for the public. The aims of this approach differ: provide the visitor with new ideas and new reasons to return to visit the facility, expand on the topics on which the environmental awareness is based upon, meet the changing needs and the visitors constantly evolving requests and also increase the tourist, cultural and scientific offer of the city of Genoa. New tanks and new species In terms of exhibition tanks and animal species, every year since the opening up to today, the Acquario di Genova has inaugurated new spaces and welcomed new species representing environments to be preserved or habitats subjected to human threats, on which to raise our public s awareness. The animals hosted come from other facilities, reproduction programmes inside the Acquario itself or external ones, or from sustainable natural sources. To name but a few facts, the number of tanks from the opening up to today has nearly doubled, reaching the current 70 exhibition tanks; 16 star offspring seals, dolphins and penguins - ; new species have been welcomed, until reaching about specimens of more than 400 different modern species. Costa Edutainment has sustained a total investment of over 34 million Euros for the product renewal, with an average annual investment since 1996 of 1.8 million Euros, as well as a yearly fee, which at present is of about 2.5 million Euros, granted to the Porto Antico di Genova S.p.A. for a total of 33 million Euros through the years. Within this perspective of continuous renewal, there is the new Cetaceans Pavilion designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, which was completed in July 2013, further expanding the exhibition surface of the facility. The overall investment for the new pavilion is of 30 million Euros, of which 9 millions come from a public contribution, formed by the residual funds which were meant for the Expo '92. The remaining investment is borne by the Porto Antico di Genova S.p.A. - 2,4 million Euros, on top of the advance of the residual investment, estimated to be around 11,2 million Euros and by Costa Edutainment S.p.A., which participates with a direct financial contribution of 3 million Euros and will reimburse the part of the advance investment by Porto Antico di Genova S.p.A. with a supplementary fee, in order to reach a total financial contribution by the Aquarium managing society to the project equal to 18 million Euros. The technological innovation In the last few years, Costa Edutainment has sustained onerous investments for the technological innovation, mainly related to the equipments, with the aim of supporting at its best the management of such a complex structure, reaching a greater efficacy and reliability. Among the most significant ones, there are new cooling units for the air conditioning, a new computerized control system, remote access to the control room, implementation of maintenance management software. In the near future, a sea water intake pump will also be realized, which will allow a direct supply of sea water. The tourist and cultural offers Through the years several tourist and cultural offers have been put together using the same innovative approach; they expand on the concept of the visit to the Acquario di Genova to true and proper experiences, which link the whole world managed by Costa Edutainment. The AcquarioVillage world is in fact a new proposal of enthralling, high added value experiences, which come to life from time to time in the Acquario di Genova, Galata Museo del Mare with the submarine Nazario Sauro, the Biosfera and the Bigo panoramic lift. Some offers, such as the CrocierAcquario, are devised with the aim of turning the visitors into the protagonists of the scientific activity run by the Acquario di Genova, with high emotional impact experiences. All this is done in conjunction with the mission of tourist development of the city and of the region. The edutainment format The innovation and the contemporary development of a specific know how have led Costa Edutainment to develop a model of activity, i.e. format edutainment, unique and distinctive, which combines information focused on the theme on hand with fun and play. This way makes the learning process more flexible and ensures that the messages put across are assimilated thanks to a greater involvement of the reference target.

9 An integrating part of this format is made of animations, thematic elaborations, play activities, one to one meetings with specialized staff, paper craftworks both for adults and children, to be used at home to carry on with the experience. The communication The communication with the visitor started to evolve back in 2006 towards an integrated approach, along with the product innovation. Starting from a focalization on the novelties of the Acquario di Genova and of the single facilities and their distinctiveness, communication veers towards relating and making the most of the fascination of the experience offered to the visitors. With a particular reference to the 2010 campaign, the communication strategy is focused on the truthfulness and the exceptionality of the experience lived by the public, not only at the Acquario di Genova, but also within the world of the AcquarioVillage: authentic and exclusive experiences, in a reality which is better than the imagination, and which stir intense emotions. These are the keys of the success which have led Costa Edutainment to obtain at the end of 2010 the prestigious prize "Key Award" in the Best Direction category, recognized by the specialized newspaper Media Key, for the advert of the campaign AcquarioVillage 2010 Caccia al Nazario Sauro (Hunting for Nazario Sauro) Also, the innovative communication choices of the last few years have contributed to establish the leadership position of Costa Edutainment in Italy in the field of the edutainment. The innovation in figures - 62 million Euros the initial investment for the construction of the Acquario di Genova - more than 34 million Euros the total investments by Costa Edutainment since 1996 up to today, on top of a yearly fee, which at present is of about 2,5 million Euros, granted to the Porto Antico di Genova S.p.A., for a total of 33 million Euros through the years. - 1,8 million Euros annual average investment by Costa Edutainment for the product renewal - 18 million Euros total financial contribution by Costa Edutainment towards the project of the new pavillon for the Cetaceans - over 6,5 million Euros the investment sustained in 1998 for the doubling of the exhibition path, with the setting up of the Nave blu (blue ship) Euros the investment in 2008 for the new cooling units for the air conditioning Euros the investment in 2008 for the new computerized control system - 70 are the current exhibition tanks besides the new 4 tanks of the Cetaceans Pavilion; the number has nearly doubled compared to the initial tanks animals hosted in the tanks of the Acquario di Genova - over 400 animal species - 16 seal, dolphin and penguin offspring, born between the opening and today.

10 THE REASONS BEHING THE SUCCESS: THE COSTA EDUTAINMENT INTEGRATED SYSTEM Thanks to the experience and know how acquired through the Acquario di Genova, Costa Edutainment has taken over the management of the important cultural and tourist realities of Genoa: Galata Museo del Mare, Biosfera, the Bigo panoramic lift and the National Museum of Antarctica. These facilities have been joined by the submarine S-518 Nazario Sauro, the first Italian museum-ship which can be visited on water; it has enriched the path of the Galata Museo del Mare and the world of the AcquarioVillage since the end of May 2010 and the National Antarctic Museum since The word edutainment, fusion of the two words Educational and Entertainment, defines the mission of the company: meet the growing request for a qualitative way to spend leisure time, combining culture, education, entertainment, emotion and fun in unique and meaningful experiences. In order to respond to this mission, Costa Edutainment has built through the years an integrated system, which has made sure that the catchment of visitors of the Acquario di Genova was and still is the driving force for all the other facilities, reaching a total of 1.7 million visitors and group sales for 30 million Euros in Starting from the distinctiveness and uniqueness of each facility, the simple visit to the Acquario di Genova and the other structures have turned since 2007 into integrated and themed paths, focused on the thrill of learning while having fun. In the spring of 2009, this system has further evolved with the AcquarioVillage, a world which combines unique and enthralling experiences, suitable for the different types of visitors, thanks to the wide variety and wealth of themes on offer: from culture to environment, from science to nature, from technology to history. The transversality of the themes and the connections created among the themes themselves, integrated with the use of an edutainment format which uses the visitor s fun and involvement as the main driving force to put messages across, have allowed Costa Edutainment to offer a new way of doing culture. This system has been recognised as a successful offer, not only by the results in terms of visitors, but also by the Dossier Musei 2009 by the Italian Touring Club, which has highlighted the Genoese scientific centre, composed of the Acquario di Genova, La città dei bambini e dei ragazzi managed until December and Galata Museo del Mare, as the element which makes of Genoa the first city in the table for its offer of scientific and non traditional museums. In 2010, Costa Edutainment was also placed among the 10 Best Companies in the atlas published yearly on Milano Finanza, c/o Price Waterhouse Coopers. The citation reports the capability shown by Costa Edutainment in understanding and enhancing the territorial assets, their link in terms of industrial chain production and also for the contribution given to the spreading of culture of the natural resources of Italy. Thanks to the integrated offer, Costa Edutainment intends to promote the visitors stay in the city of Genoa for an increasing amount of time, from half day to more days, in order for them to make the most not only of the offers of the world of the AcquarioVillage, but also the tourist and cultural offer of the city and the Region, contributing to propose the Ligurian regional capital as a tourist and cultural destination increasingly more charming and inviting. For this purpose, in 2000 Costa Edutainment acquired the Incoming Liguria tour operator, specialized in organizing tourist packages within the Ligurian territory, paying special attention to Genoa and with an active role in the promotion and marketing of the main city events, such as the Festival della Scienza (science festival) and the exhibitions by the Fondazione per la Cultura Palazzo Ducale (Culture Foundation of Palazzo Ducale). From a research carried out by Praxi in 2001, it has emerged that the linked activities generated by the Acquario di Genova for the city was equal to 37 million Euros per year. From a research conducted by Cerist (research centre for tourism innovation and development) in 2008, it has emerged that the linked activities created has risen to million Euros. The successes achieved in the last few years thanks to the integrated system have led Costa Edutainment to export the model out of the Genoese context: nationally, Costa Edutainment also manages the Cattolica Aquarium, since year 2000, the Livorno Aquarium, which re-opened to the public on July 31st, 2010, the Cala Gonone Aquarium in Sardinia since September 1st, 2011 (in collaboration with Panaque srl), the Oltremare and Aquafan parks in Riccione since

11 October 2013 aznd since March 2014 Italia in Miniatura; the latter three, together with the Cattolica Aquarium, form the new integrated Costa Parchi hub. Costa Edutainment integrated system in figures visitors a year to the Costa Edutainment facilities in Genoa - 30 million Euros group sales of Costa Edutainment in managed facilities in Italy: in Genoa Acquario di Genova, Galata Museo del Mare with the submarine Nazario Sauro, National Museum of Antarctica, Bigo panoramic lift; in the rest of Italy Acquario di Cattolica, Oltremare, Aquafan, Italia in Miniatura, Acquario di Livorno, Acquario di Cala Gonone. - Incidence of the edutainment paths on the visitors of the single facilities: about 15% for the Acquario di Genova, about 40% for the Galata Museo del Mare, about 82% for the Biosfera. - The linked activities generated by the Acquario di Genova for the city of Genoa: from 37 million Euros observed in 2001 (source Praxi) to 141,6 million Euros observed in 2008 (source Cerist) - 1 tour operator owned by Costa Edutainment: Incoming Liguria - Member of the Associazione Festival della Scienza e della Fondazione per la Cultura Palazzo Ducale di Genova (Science Festival association and the Culture Foundation Palazzo Ducale of Genoa) - About passengers brought every year to Genoa and the Liguria Region by Incoming Liguria.

12 THE NEW CETACEANS PAVILION Designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, in collaboration with Officina Architetti, the new Cetaceans Pavilion of the Acquario di Genova is an important extension of the facility, which celebrates this year its 21 st birthday. The structure, unique in its kind, has been realized thanks to the joint efforts of Porto Antico di Genova SpA, Costa Edutainment SpA and Municipality of Genoa; it was unveiled on 26 th July 2013 and opened to the public on the next day. Located between the main body of the Acquario and the Grande Nave Blu, the new Pavilion was built by Codelfa Spa and is integrated within the Porto Antico Area with a light visual impact, thanks to the glazed surface of the South side and the visitors' path standing just 3 meters above sea level. It is made up by four open-air pools main exhibition tank, nursery, medical and curatorial tanks - which will host up to 10 bottlenose dolphins. The Cetaceans Pavilion is a really unique, unprecedented facility in Italy, both in terms of engineering and as concerns the design issues related to the well-being and care of the animals. The technical uniqueness Technically, the new Pavilion is like a floating 7-storey building complex; it was delivered in February 2012 by sea from the La Spezia dry dock, where the construction began, to the Genoa Voltri yard where the work was completed. Finally, on 28 th June 2013, the structure was hauled by sea to its final location, in the Porto Antico basin. This was a spectacular and complex operation: just consider that the structure has a weight of approximately 26,000 tons and a draught of about 9 metres, it has no engines or independent manoeuvre devices and covered the whole stretch from outside the Voltri breakwater to the eastern access to the port. It entered the Porto Antico basin and approached the Acquario dock and its fixed structure thanks to 6 means: two tugboats and another 4 supporting means of the Genoa boatmen and Pilots. After the docking manoeuvre, the sinking operation was carried out: about 3,500 cubic metres of water and then cement gradually filled the ballast tanks found along the perimeter and the base of the structure, in order to lay and perfectly level the structure on the bottom, which was suitably prepared with a long dredging work. This operation, which took about two days of work, did make the Pavilion sink of about 80 centimetres; the same was then laid on the bottom at a depth of about 9.8 metres. The structure, a reinforced concrete parallelepiped 94 metres long, 28 metres wide and about 23 metre high, looks from the outside like a large window, which starts from a height of 3 meters above sea level and closes the passage tunnel for visitors. On either side of the window we find the two towers, connected to the fixed part of the Acquario and the Nave Blu; they are 10 and 13 metres high respectively and host some technical spaces. The work has therefore a very light visual impact and seamlessly integrates itself in the Porto Antico area. It took about four years to realize the project for the Pavilion and about 36 months to build it. A careful planning, aimed at the well - being of the animals From the point of view of the animals care and well - being, the new Pavilion is the brainchild of a long collaboration between architects, designers, veterinary and aquarium staff of the Acquario di Genova: this made it possible to guarantee and improve the animals well - being and the best work conditions for the staff. The four tanks, all of them open - air and with no sharp edges, contain a volume of water equal to 4.8 million litres overall. From autumn 2012, the water of all the Acquario tanks comes from a direct sea inlet, built thanks to an investment of about 1 million Euros, which ensures continuous availability of good quality water from 5 km off the coast. All the tanks inside the new Pavilion feature work platforms on the four sides, so that animals and staff can easily access them. The main tank is equipped with a platform on the top floor which also allows people with motor disabilities to get closer to the animals. More specifically, the work platforms next to the Nursery and in some other areas of the other tanks are placed in the lowest position with respect to the water surface, in order to ease the animals interaction with the operator who is partially immersed in water. All the tanks can be easily isolated thanks to watertight doors, which isolate the concerned tank without preventing the access to the other three: this is done to allow a faster veterinary intervention.

13 An underwater observation tank was designed for the veterinary and aquarium staff: this allows them to see and directly monitor the main exhibition tank, the Nursery and the curatorial tank. A covered mobile veterinary platform is found in the Medical tank and another one is in the nursery tank: these allow to get to the animals much faster - 20 minutes - in case of emergency, even in the presence of water. The new Pavilion Cetaceans in figures Total area of the new structure: about 7,000 sqm Length: 94 metres Width: 28 metres Height above sea level of the structure: base of the visitors glazed tunnel 3 metres Height of the side towers above sea level: 10 metres for the tower on the Nave Blu side, 13 metres for the tower on the Acquario side Number of tanks: 4. Size and volume of the main exhibition tank: maximum depth 7 metres and minimum depth 4.5 metres. Surface about 580 square metres, overall volume about 3,200 cubic metres Surface and volume of the Medical tank: approx square metres and 86.5 cubic metres. This tank is equipped with a mobile bottom Surface and volume of the Nursery tank: about 201 square metres and 1,048 cubic metres This tank is equipped with a mobile bottom Surface and volume of the curatorial tank: about 95 square metres and 408 cubic metres Dimension of the main acrylic part of the exhibition tank: 20 meters wide and 4.2 meters high, 30 cm thick, weighing 35 tons Size of the glazed half tunnel: 15 meters in length, 14 cm thick Total surface of the acrylic parts along the visit path: about 150 square metres Total surface of the glazed part of the visitors tunnel: about 460 square metres Maximum number of animals: 10 Number of animals hosted in the Pavilion: 6 adults and 1 female calf Duration of works: 30 months Average number of workers involved on a monthly basis: 60 Concrete used for the construction: approx. 12,000 cubic metres Water used for sinking the structure in the final destination site: about 3,500 cubic metres

14 A NIGHT WITH THE SHARKS The activity offered by the Acquario di Genova allows kids, once a month, to experience an incredible adventure and to learn to love and respect the sea. The Acquario di Genova s activity specially made for kids, to allow them to learn about Genoa s fascinating marine world in an unusual and enthralling context: the night. Kids aged 7 to 13 are invited to participate in this extraordinary and mysterious night voyage to discover the animals of the aquarium. The activity is scheduled throughout the year, once a month, for a maximum number of 35 participants per night. Those are the dates for 2015: 3, 10 and 31 January, 7 February, 7 and 28 March, 4 and 25 April, 2 May, 1 and 6 June, 4 July, 19 September, 17 and 31 October, 7 and 21 November, 26, 27 and 28 December. The adventure begins at 7:30 PM at the Acquario di Genova s office entry and starts with a pizza menu dinner. The kids, who need to bring a sleeping bag, pyjamas, toothbrush and whatever else they may need to spend the night, will be met there by Aquarium members of staff. The schedule begins with a get-to-know-each-other activity and a small snack, than proceeds with a visit to the tanks. Here the children will learn many interesting facts and discover all the little-known and fascinating things that happen in the sea at night time. After sunset, when the structure closes and the lighting system is turned off, the tanks undergo incredible transformations, revealing new creatures and colours as well as typical nocturnal movements and behaviours. The evening will come to a close in front of the shark tank, where the children will enjoy the amazing experience of falling asleep while admiring these fascinating predators. On Sunday morning, they kids will take another stroll along the tanks to witness their awakening and to see how the structure starts up every day. The fantastic adventure ends at 9:00 AM, after a healthy breakfast. Participants must book in advance by phoning Incoming Liguria, Edutainment s tour operator, on telephone number The price is Euros per person. The activity, devised by Acquario di Genova s Educational Department, is in collaboration with the Cooperativa Dafne and the Compagnia Eventi children s theatre. In accordance with the Aquarium s mission, this initiative offers the opportunity to sensitize and educate children in the conservation, management and responsible use of aquatic environments, through an exciting and interesting activity which offers them an in depth look at the animal species and their habitats.

15 CROCIERACQUARIO - BOAT TRIPS ON THE PATHS OF THE CETACEANS CrocierAcquario is the special proposal which links the visit to the Acquario di Genova to the boat excursion on the path of the Cetaceans, within the research project Delfini Metropolitani (metropolitan dolphins), in cooperation between the Acquario di Genova and the WWF. The partnership between Costa Edutainment, the management company of the Acquario di Genova and the WWF, stems from the mutual commitment to spread information and raise awareness among the public for the environmental preservation and tutelage. Visitors of the Acquario di Genova can take this opportunity to extend their knowledge of the marine environment acquired along the exhibition path, with a direct experience in the open sea: a half day excursion on the paths of the sea mammals between Genoa and Portofino, in the heart of the Sanctuary of the Cetaceans. The public will be accompanied during every excursion by a marine biologist from the Acquario di Genova and of the WWF, who will reveal all secrets of the animals that you will come across and will illustrate the correct code of conduct for the Cetaceans' sighting, without disturbing them. From 2013 on, in the months between April and June, the departure takes place three times a week from the pier under the Acquario every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday (subject to weather conditions) at 1 p.m. and return at about 6.30 p.m.; in July and August there are five departures a week, every day except for Monday and Thursday with the same timings. The cetaceans sighting excursion is only available for schools or groups Monday to Friday, subject to reservation. The CrocierAcquario participants are involved in the activities of the project Delfini Metropolitani (Metropolitan Dolphins), a research by the Acquario di Genova and also promoted by the Fondazione Acquario di Genova ONLUS, which since 2001 has been studying the presence of dolphins along the coasts of the Pelagos Sanctuary. Visitors will be able to learn to recognize the Cetaceans and, more importantly, to respect them and their environment. CrocierAcquario is an example of the experiences offered by Costa Edutainment to its public, about themes of the sea, nature, science, technology, sailing history, and culture. These experiences come to life each time in the different amenities of the world of the AcquarioVillage, from the Acquario di Genova to the Biosfera, from La città dei bambini e dei ragazzi to the Galata Museo del Mare with the submarine Nazario Sauro and the Bigo panoramic lift. The core of these experiences is the edutainment format, unique and distinctive, which combines information focused on the theme on hand with entertainment and amusement, making the learning process simpler and also ensuring that the messages put across are absorbed and assimilated, thanks to the greater involvement of the reference target. The Acquario di Genova and the WWF have drawn up a Cetaceans sighting Code for the use of all sea users, for a correct sighting activity which does not harm them: - Do not hinder the usual movement of the Cetaceans, nor modify their behaviour, or act in a way which can potentially provoke a reaction or a physical contact - Do not chase the Cetaceans, nor head the boat directly towards them. Let them be the ones to come close to the boat. - In case of sighting of a still school, get close very slowly, with the utmost care, giving them the time to get used to the presence of the boat, until you get close enough to be able to document the sighting, without getting closer than 50 metres. - In case of a sighting of a moving school, with a route different from the one of the boat, steer in such a way to sail in parallel with the animals, or with a slightly convergent route (never head towards them perpendicularly). - Do not react to the presence of Cetaceans with sudden route or speed changes, which could confuse them or disorientate them. - Avoid getting close to Cetaceans with their young. The path CrocierAcquario (Acquario di Genova + boat excursion of the paths of the Cetaceans) costs 46 Euros per adult, 33 Euros per child (13-14 years), 23 Euros (from 5 to 12 years), 15 Euros (4 years). The boat excursion can be purchased individually, for a price of 33 Euros per adult, 18 Euros per child (5 to 14 years) by contacting Incoming Liguria, tel / The CrocierAcquario path can be purchased on the websites and in the section Prenota e acquista.

16 ACQUARIO DI GENOVA AND COSTA EDUTAINMENT A BRIEF PROFILE The Acquario di Genova was built on the occasion of the Expo 92, a celebration of the fifth centenary of the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus, with the intention of restructuring and enhancing an area full of history and traditions, located in the heart of Genoa s historic centre: the Porto Antico (the old port). The project of the area and the Acquario is by the Genoese architect Renzo Piano, who wanted to realize a work which would become an integrating part of the city, by knocking down the boundary walls which for years had kept the Genoese people away from the docks. The Acquario s interior design is by the American architect Peter Chermayeff instead, who radically changed the concept of the aquarium back in the Seventies. After the partial initial opening in April '92, on the occasion of the Columbus Celebrations, the Acquario di Genova was definitely inaugurated on 15 th October It is a public property of Porto Antico di Genova S.p.A. ; the Acquario di Genova has been managed since the end of 1995 by Costa Edutainment S.p.A. Costa Edutainment is the leader in Italy in the edutainment sector; the mission of the company is to meet the growing request for a qualitative way to spend the leisure time, combining culture, education, excitement and entertainment in unique and meaningful experiences. It is specialized in the management of great public and private facilities, dedicated to recreational, cultural, didactic, study and research activities. In Genoa the company manages, as well as the Acquario di Genova, the Galata Museo del Mare with the submarine Nazario Sauro, the Biosfera, the National Museum of Antarctica, the panoramic lift Bigo. Untile December 2014, Costa Edutainment managed also La città dei bambini e dei ragazzi. Since 2000, the company has acquired Incoming Liguria, a leading Tour Operator in Genoa, specialising in package holidays in Liguria, with special attention on Genoa. Since 2004, Costa Edutainment is a member of the Associazione Festival della Scienza" ( Science Festival association), which takes care of the organization of the scientific exhibition which takes place every year in Genoa. In 2008 Costa Edutainment S.p.A. has also become part of Genova Palazzo Ducale Fondazione per la Cultura (Genoa Palazzo Ducale Culture Foundation) as a share holding partner, with the objective of actively contributing to the heritage enhancement and promotion of the initiatives and cultural networks of the Genoese territory, within a perspective of cooperation between public and private sectors. Nationally, Costa Edutainment also manages the Cattolica Aquarium, since year 2000, the Livorno Aquarium, which re-opened to the public on July 31st, 2010, the Cala Gonone Aquarium in Sardinia since September 1st, 2011 (in collaboration with Panaque srl), the Oltremare and Aquafan parks in Riccione since October 2013 and the Italia in Miniatura park since March 2014; the latter three, together with the Cattolica Aquarium, form the new integrated Costa Parchi hub. The company is also involved directly in the Civita Group, through a holding of 13%. Civita Group is involved in the protection and development of the Italian cultural and environmental heritage, with an annual turnover of around 70 million euros and almost 700 people, through the management of around 100 museums, among which 5 of the 6 most visited sites in Italy, and the organization of fairs and events. Opera Laboratori Fiorentini is also part of the Civita Group and has managed, since July 1st, 2009, the commercial spaces of the Vatican Museums; moreover, it has participated for many years in the management of the Uffizi Gallery, the Vasari Corridor, the Gallery of the Academy and the Duomo of Siena. In 2014 Costa Edutainment entered Italian Entertainment Network through a holding of 4,6%. IEN is a new Italian operator which aims to be leader in the organisation of big events and in the cultural field in order to compete at an international level. IEN partners are Fondo Italiano di Investimenti, Film Master, Civita Group, Cine district entertainment. It counts almost 820 people and forecasts to have an annual turnover of 140 million Euros.

17 INFORMATION Address: Area Porto Antico - Ponte Spinola Genova Information: ph ; Offices: ph fax Groups and schools reservationa and purchase individual touristic packages: Incoming Liguria: ph fax info@incomingliguria.it Prices Acquario di Genova (the new Cetaceans Pavilion included): Adults 24 Euros; Children (4-12 years old) 15 Euros; Kids (0-3 years old) free; over 65, Military, Invalids and Disabled People with free accompanying person: 21 Euros; adults groups (1 free out of 20 paying tickets) 19 Euros; Schools (2 free teachers out of 15 students): 10 euros. AcquarioVillage (one-year-long ticket including 1 entrance in each of the following facility: Acquario di Genova, Galata Museo del Mare with Nazario Sauro submarine, Museo Nazionale dell Antartide, Biosfera, panoramic lift Bigo): adults 48 Euros, children 29 Euros (4-12 years old), kids (0-3 years old) free, over 65, Military, Invalids and Disabled People with free accompanying person: 40 Euros. Pianeta Acquario New (Acquario di Genova + Biosfera + Museo Nazionale dell Antartide): adults 32 Euros, children (4-12 years old) 19 Euros, kids (0-3 years old) free, over 65, Military, Invalids and Disabled People with free accompanying person: 27 Euros. GalatAcquario (Acquario di Genova + Galata Museo del Mare + Nazario Sauro submarine): adults 37 Euros, children (4-12 years old) 23 Euros, kids (0-3) free; over 65, Military, Invalids and Disabled People with free accompanying person 32 Euros. Secret Acquario (Acquario di Genova + Behind the Scenes): adults 29 Euros, children (4-12 years old) 18 Euros, kids (0-3 years old) free; over 65, Military, Invalids and Disabled People with free accompanying person 25 Euros CrocierAcquario (Acquario di Genova + boat excursion on the path of the Cetaceans in cooperation with WWF): adults 46 Euros, children (4-12 years old) 23 Euros, over 65, Military, Invalids and Disabled People with free accompanying person 43 Euro. Opening hours: The Acquario di Genova, with its new Cetaceans Pavilion, is open every day of the year. Summertime (from March to October): Weekdays 08.30am 8pm (last entrance 6pm); weekends and holidays 08.30am 9pm (last entrance 7pm) July and August: every day 8.30am 10.30pm (last entrance 8.30pm). Wintertime (from November to February): weekdays 9.30am 8pm (last entrance 6pm); weekends and holidays 09.30am 9pm (last entrance 7pm).