RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
Contributing to the sustainable development of the destinations we visit is of paramount importance to the cruise industry. Our collaborative approach with city leaders and port authorities has been considered a model for responsible tourism.
Travel and tourism industry unites to tackle climate change
On 9 April 2024, association representatives from the European travel and tourism sector (business and leisure) met in Rhodes, Greece, to sign a landmark declaration promising decisive action towards more sustainable travel and tourism.
The joint declaration will serve as a roadmap to foster collaboration and help tourism reach its sustainability goals. Today, more than ever, the industry is committing to prioritise decarbonisation, enhance collaboration, and engage with policymakers in meaningful dialogue.
CLIA is proud to sign the declaration and play its part.
Sustainable Cruise Charter in the Mediterranean: The sector presents its first positive assessment and recalls its commitments
On 31 January 2024 on the occasion of the Euromaritime fair, and in partnership with the Interregional Directorate of the Mediterranean Sea, CLIA presents a review of the implementation of the Charter and the prospects for the sector in the Mediterranean region.
As the first step in the application of the Charter, the DIRM conducted audits in 2023 aimed at evaluating the performance of cruise companies on the 13 commitments contained in the text.
Charting the future of sustainable cruise travel
CLIA member lines have set inspiring sustainability goals and each year the CLIA member fleet becomes more efficient as our member lines embrace new technologies, innovations and, as available, the uptake of sustainable alternative fuels.
Read more about the work of the cruise industry to sail to an even better future in our latest publication “Charting the future of sustainable cruise travel.”
European Parliament Roundtable on Sustainable, Accessible, Inclusive Cruise Tourism – Supporting Local Communities and Destinations
On 31 May 2023 CLIA together with four Members of the European Parliament hosted a Roundtable in the European Parliament focusing on sustainable, accessible, inclusive cruise tourism.
The event brought together stakeholders from European institutions and organisations to discuss the work the cruise industry is doing in the field of sustainability both onboard our ships but also in the ports and destinations we visit, the diversity and gender mix of our staff and the accessibility of cruise tourism to people with disabilities.
Dubrovnik: ‘Respect the City’ for Responsible Tourism
In partnership with CLIA, Dubrovnik has created a systematic approach towards solving important issues such as tourism growth. Measures have included careful planning of cruise arrivals and departures, embedded in a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Dubrovnik city and CLIA in 2019.
As part of this program, the city of Dubrovnik has produced a video to be shared with cruise lines to educate passengers to be culturally sensitive and help preserve the UNESCO World Heritage site of Dubrovnik’s Old Town.
Welcome to CLIA Info Hub: Sailing to a better future
CLIA has produced a new, online interactive resource showing how the cruise industry is advancing its sustainability agenda.
The new toolkit is accessible to all and contains information in multiple languages that can be downloaded and shared, including reports, statistics, maps, posters, and infographics.
The first edition of the toolkit, which was launched at CLIA’s European Summit, is available in six languages: English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian and Spanish.
The toolkit can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/cliahub
Cruise lines sign sustainable cruise charter
Environmental innovation in the maritime sector and in particular in cruising, such as the advanced treatment of wastewater on board, shoreside electricity connection, and the use of alternative fuel (LNG), is part of the necessary steps towards the decarbonisation of maritime transport, essential to achieving our carbon neutrality objectives. This is why cruise lines have reaffirmed their commitment through a Charter that will strengthen efforts already undertaken to improve their environmental footprint in the Mediterranean.
Read moreA roadmap for sustainable tourism with Corfu and Heraklion
Following on from our collaboration with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) in Dubrovnik, CLIA has co-funded additional GSTC destination assessments for the cities and ports of Corfu and Heraklion. The assessments will help the cities to identify key risks and set the foundation for an action plan for sustainable tourism, balancing the social and economic benefits of tourism for residents while safeguarding the long-term sustainability of these popular Greek destinations.
Find out morePan-European Cruise Dialogue
On 1 March 2022, the EU Commission hosted the 2nd Pan-European Cruise Dialogue in Brussels. The event was set up to discuss sustainable cruise tourism in the EU. Speakers at the event included the Deputy Head of DG MARE, MEPs, CLIA, the European Sea Ports Association, European Travel Commission and other cruise tourism stakeholders.
Find out moreResponsible tourism in Majorca
CLIA and cruise lines have enjoyed a close and positive cooperation with the Island of Majorca for many years. As the industry continues its sustainable resumption of cruises, CLIA met with the Minister of Economy, Tourism and Labour, Iago Negueruela in December 2021 to discuss tourism management.
Following the meeting, we were pleased to confirm the continued cooperation with the Balearic Islands Government to help Majorca address its specific tourism management issues, including the challenges relating to the configuration of Palma’s old city.
Dubrovnik: a model for sustainable tourism
CLIA’s partnership with Dubrovnik, Croatia, has shown how city authorities, communities and the tourism sector can achieve a common vision for responsible tourism. While most visitors travel to Dubrovnik by air, CLIA wanted to play a leadership role to help the city manage visitor flows. The Memorandum of Understanding between CLIA and Dubrovnik has helped to maximise economic and cultural benefits through tourism management. Building on this partnership, we funded a Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) destination assessment for Dubrovnik.
Read more about CLIA’s work with DubrovnikPorto Declaration: Tourism and the Future of Cities
CLIA is one of the participants in the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Porto Declaration on Tourism and the Future of Cities. The Declaration recognises the critical need for urban destinations to rethink and reshape tourism under the principles of inclusiveness, resiliency, and sustainability in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the United Nations New Urban Agenda. Find out more about the Porto Declaration, adopted in July 2021 at the UNWTO Mayor’s Forum for Sustainable Urban Tourism.
Read the Porto DeclarationCLIA In conversation with GSTC CEO, Randy Durband
Randy Durband, CEO GSTC, explains more about the role of destination assessments and how it helped the city of Dubrovnik to plan for a sustainable future.
Sustainable development of coastal and maritime tourism
CLIA is supporting the UNWTO research and monitoring centre on sustainability and coastal maritime tourism in the Mediterranean. A collaboration between the UNWTO and the Greek Ministry of Tourism, the new research station will measure the sustainable development of coastal and maritime tourism across the Mediterranean.