The cruise industry is one of the larger investors in environmental technology to help preserve the oceans and protect the port communities it serves, and to date it has invested more than £16.8 billion in ships with new technologies and cleaner fuels to reduce air emissions.

Even in the face of the pandemic, the industry remains committed to pursuing resources and funding to identify new fuel sources and technologies.

Compared with hotels and land-side resorts, ships feature some of the most advanced wastewater treatment and recycling systems: some can repurpose 100% of waste generated onboard – removing, reusing, recycling and converting waste to energy.

Together with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the cruise industry continues its work with city leaders to chart the future of sustainable tourism in their localities.

Our pioneering partnership with Dubrovnik, Croatia illustrates this approach. 

While most visitors travel to Dubrovnik by air, we chose to set an example and staggered schedules to help the city manage visitor flows.

We are also teaming up with Corfu and Heraklion, Crete, to help them understand how to capture the social and economic benefits of tourism for residents, while safeguarding the long-term sustainability of these popular Greek destinations.

We believe this approach offers a model for collaboration between city authorities, industry and communities.