The Cruise 2030 call for
action is a working group of eight of the main cruise ports in Europe,
including Amsterdam, Bergen, Cannes, Dubrovnik, Malaga, Marseille Fos, Palma de
Mallorca, and Venice. The initiative was proposed by the Port of Venice
and launched in October 2019, to start to operate on finding ways to help
shaping the cruise industry of the future. The Cruise
2030 Working Group commits to find the best possible balance for ports,
destinations, and cruise companies, to guarantee the future of the cruise
industry in Europe. Following on from the inaugural
meeting held in Venice last October, second Cruise 2030 Working Group met in
Palma de Mallorca on 07 February 2020. Delegations from eight of Europe’s main
cruise destinations met to formalize their support for the "CRUISE 2030
CALL FOR ACTION" initiative, promoted by the Port of Venice. The Cruise 2030 Working Group
agreed collectively, that the main objective of the "CRUISE 2030 CALL FOR
ACTION" must be to define common strategies whereby each port can find
ways to support sustainable development of the cruise industry within their
regions, whilst taking into account the needs not only of the cruise industry,
but also the environment, and the port itself. Meeting session presented the
conclusions of the study Towards a New Balance for Ports, Destinations, and the
Cruise Industry. This study was conducted by
the North Adriatic Sea Port Authority, with outcomes based on analysis carried
out in eight different European ports. The study, which highlights the growth
of cruise tourism in recent years, within the global context of the general
increase in tourism worldwide, recognizes that there may be non-positive
consequences on a local level, such as environmental impact, and pressure
caused by large numbers of tourists to the destination and historical centers,
and acknowledges the future of the cruise industry depends on its ability to
find a way to guarantee the best possible balance for destinations, ports, and
cruise companies. Many topics were discussed,
the most significant points were: ·Delivery of economic
initiatives which outline suggestions for cruise companies to enable reductions
to environmental impact at individual ports. Some of the environmental measures
adopted by port authorities include favoring onshore power supply, 0.1% SOx, LNG
fuel, closed-loop scrubbers, involvement of the whole tourism chain, reducing
speed of ships and local compensation for the envi- ronmental footprint. ·The main aim, in the long run,
is to define the standards of a sus- tainable cruise industry, which takes into
account all the different needs of the various stakeholders involved.
Particular attention to be given to the needs of the ports, and even more to
their sur- rounding’s. Eventually, defining and adopting the standards of a
vessel-type, a Europax class, with specific characteristics matching the
features of European ports. ·Broad cooperation requires
interaction and discussion with local authorities (municipalities, provinces,
and regions) in order to de- fine a clear path towards a sustainable industry,
in a framework to govern the policy as a destination, rather than among
individual institutional stakeholders. The next meeting is scheduled
for next June 2020 and will be hosted and organized by the port of Cannes.
