Genoa is a maritime town favoured by nature and it finds in the activity of the ports and in that of tourism the most important economical factors. Once Genoa was also very important from the industrial point of view and it was for a long time one of the three major industrial cities in Italy.

Nowadays many factories have turned to other so called tertiary sectors like commerce, communications, banking, insurances and other various types of services. The building trade - once generally working towards all directions is now pointing to specialized sectors. Genoa was one of the 4 ancient Sea Republics. Its power was so strong to arrive to lend money and ships even to the English crown, so since ancient and medieval times the reputation of the Ligurian people given over to navigation and trade resides was led to a growing region economy. This has also been confirmed in today's new way of life by a regional economy which is still based on the sea through ports and trade but above all is devoted to tourism.

Genoa's harbour is the biggest in Italy and, alternatively by the years, the most important in the whole Mediterranenean area organizing together with important tades also important cruising movements. Tourism is so now becoming more and more important so that in 2004 the city was nominated the European Cultural Capital of the year.