Costa Concordia may be in the shipyard but Costa Cruises is still in hot water, as Italian officials look to sue the company over claims the capsized ship damaged local tourism.
Officials allege that the January 2012 incident contributed to a decline in tourism that will take ‘years’ to correct, Reuters reported.
“We will ask Costa for 30 million euros ($37.5 million) in damages to Tuscany’s image. To reconstruct the image of Tuscany as a top tourist destination will require years of work, substantial investments and costly national and international advertising campaigns.”
Tuscany’s regional president Enrico Rossi told a court in Grosseto
Costa Concordia was carrying over 4,000 passengers and crew on a Mediterranean cruise when it hit rocks off Giglio island in 2012 and half sunk.
The accident killed 32 people on board. The remains of the last missing victim were discovered earlier this month.
The ship remained off the Italian coast for two-and-a-half-years before it was raised and towed away in July this year to a shipyard in northern Italy’s Genoa.
The wreckage travelled 3,000 kilometres at a speed of two knots per hour. Now at the shipyard, the scrapping process is expected to take up to two years and will see 50,000-tonnes of steel be melted down and sold to companies.
The total salvage operation is said to have the cruise line up to $1.5 billion euros.
Costa could also be charged up to $100,000 euros to repair damages to the island.
KarryOn has contacted Costa Cruises for comment.
Costa Cruises launched its new flagship this month, Costa Diadema
Meanwhile, earlier this month Costa Cruises christened its new flagship, Costa Diadema.
The 4,947-passenger ship cost US$688 million to build and is sailing the Mediterranean during her first season.
Onboard, Diadema has eight restaurants including a Japanese restaurant, pizza place and a German pub.
There’s also a 4D cinema, Grand Prix simulator and spa facilities.