Opening the Clia Selling Cruise Day Conference in Southampton, Ben Bouldin, who is also vice president EMEA at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd acknowledged Cop26 and promised travel would “do its bit” in confronting the climate emergency.
“As an industry we are not whiter than white,” he admitted. “But we are doing a huge amount to reduce our [environmental] footprint and we will continue to do so.”
It came as Bouldin acknowledged the challenges of the pandemic and praised figures such as Clia UK and Ireland director Andy Harmer, former Clia chair Tony Roberts and former Carnival UK chairman David Dingle for their pivotal roles in helping to bring cruise back.
He also thanked UK ports for delivering a “phenomenal experience” during the summer of seacations, adding “who knew 21 ships would all sail around the UK in one summer?!”
However Bouldin said he was keen to look forward and promised a busy year ahead for the sector. “We’re about to embark on one of the most exciting years the cruise industry has ever had. The capacity will be significantly higher than in 2019 – and 2019 was a phenomenal year,” he said.
He added that 16 new ocean ships would be added in 2022.
Elsewhere Bouldin accepted the retail landscape “has changed significantly” with a notable decline in retail shops. “The retail landscape is very different and it needs to bounce back – in the same way that the high street needs to bounce back.
“The travel trade has seen the biggest impact I think that it will ever face,” Bouldin said, as he acknowledged the challenges with placing staff on furlough and many agents having left the industry.
“But travel will be once again the great industry it was,” he vowed and urged operators to ensure they had staff manning phones. “We can’t be in the situation where we can’t answer the phone to would-be customers,” he said.
Meanwhile Bouldin also said the industry recognised it would need to step up and ensure the many new entrants coming into the industry were trained up. “We’ve all got a mass job to do educate,” he said, and urged lines to welcome agents onboard their ships.
“A day visit doesn’t cut it,” he added. “You need to sail. Seeing a ship on a day visit is like seeing it with the lights turned off.”
Bouldin said Clia also had an aim to double its number of agent members. “It’s a big opportunity, and we have to be ready,” he said.
