By Virginia López Valiente
Managing Director of Cruises News Media Group and Editor of CruisesNews magazine
Editorial from CruisesNews magazine no. 47 – December 2018
Writing an editorial in December 2018, taking advantage of the current period of significant business growth for Cruises News Media Group in particular, and the cruise industry in general, would be reacting to events as they unfold. However, I wouldn't want to close out the year without voicing my recurring but unavoidable analysis of certain changes in the cruise industry that both puzzle and concern me.
On a business trip to Egypt in the days following the International Cruise Summit—incidentally, the most successful in its history—I asked myself a series of questions as a conclusion to the event. How has this industry gone from being an aspirational and coveted product for the micro-economies of tourist destinations, ports, and political projects, to being the focus and subject of debate surrounding its contribution and sustainability? How are we going to absorb all the fleet expansion without addressing the issues we have pending at the negotiating table? Legislation is good, and necessary, but it must be balanced and equitable. Judging, communicating, and expressing opinions are also important, but with data and without apathy and misinformation. For example, comparing the environmental impact of ships and cars is as defensive, simplistic, and absurd as comparing two pieces of fruit socially, demographically, and biologically was in its time.
Perhaps because many of these emerging problems are not yet fully understood, it seems, with admirable exceptions, that cruise lines, ports, and destinations are merely spectators of this vertical growth of the industry, rather than active participants, focused instead on their role as a simple commercial mouthpiece for promoting the product and its benefits. In this docile and submissive acceptance of external pressures, I am concerned about the imbalance between the industry's strengths and weaknesses in terms of communication and its educational, not demagogic, reputation regarding the sustainability of this industry, which is indeed very much so.
This is my last question for today: Are all the actors in the cruise industry assuming an apathetic position, adjusting as best they can to the imposed legislation and media backlash, without actively participating in the debate, or on the contrary, are they trying to lead or guide communication by conveying messages that reduce the uncertainty of the various social and political actors?
At Cruises News Media Group, we have not been immune to this short-sighted approach, and we have been making this clear for some time. Our organization, with a clear purpose and business vision of leadership and specialization in this sector, has been, and will continue to be, an active, not passive, part of the reputation, value proposition, and contribution of this industry to society and wealth creation.
From the outset, we have been pioneers in Spain in this sector that has revolutionized the global tourism industry. Our product portfolio aims to educate, provide data-driven information, and offer specialized strategic consulting. Cruises News Media Group intends to remain a resource that provides answers to the public and private business community regarding the revolution, contributions, and reputation of this industry. That is our recipe and our commitment for 2019: to continue doing what we do best.
Happy New Year to all.
