Just as the word “sustainability” has taken the aviation world by storm, with flight shaming impacting air travel in Sweden and Europe, in particular, cruise companies are also bracing themselves for potential backlash against their industry.
When asked for one key development in 2019, which will have an impact on travel and the world, Angie Stephen, managing director of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Asia Pacific, speaking at Cruise World Asia in Singapore, cites the environmental movement in Europe and “sustainability - understanding your own as well as your business impact on the environment.”
Cruising has always been in the media spotlight for its impact on the environment. This Bloomberg report from September is a good example of media calling attention to cruising, when it reported that starting next year, Cannes will no longer welcome cruise ships unless they comply with strict pollution controls.
The report, which details examples of environmental pollution caused by cruise ships, argues that with increased governmental scrutiny, consumer sentiment could also easily switch.
Subscribe to our newsletter below
The growth in cruising could call more attention to the industry. Passengers increased from 17.8 million in 2009 to 30 million last year, generating about $45 billion in revenue. In Asia, cruising is on an upswing, hitting a record 4.24 million passengers in 2018, with China contributing more than 50% of that number.
That growth, as well as bigger ships coming to the region, could put more environmental spotlight on the industry, although Michael Goh, president of Dream Cruises and head of international sales for Genting Cruise Lines, argues that bigger ships do not necessarily lead to more pollution, “as this can result in reduced frequencies in ship deployments.”
Genting is building two 204,000 gross ton Global Class ships, each having the capacity to house 9,000 passengers, with the first due to be delivered in 2021. It is the largest ship to be built in the German shipyard MV Verften (which is owned by Genting, by the way) and will be homeported in Asia.
And recently, the cruise line operator also announced a plan to build a series of new midsize “Universal Class” cruise ships, which it will operate on a charter basis for global hotel brands
Goh also says that in the last two to three years, cruise ships have been expanding into, and building up, new destinations to give places time to rest and cover, as well as moving away from congested ports such as Barcelona.
Stephen adds that the cruise industry recycles 60% more waste than land operators and that the industry is spending over US$8 billion building more fuel-efficient ships that run on natural gas. “For Royal, we have our first LNG-powered ship coming out in 2022,” she says.
* This article originally appeared on WebInTravel.