Working conditions on board cruise ships, under normal circumstances, despite being demanding, do not dehumanize shipping company employees.
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 57 – June 2021
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has dampened the sense of joy among cruise ship employees while exposing that shipping companies, like the rest of society including governments, were unprepared to deal with the pandemic.
The cruise industry, as part of the advanced society in which it exists and is embedded, may not have made the right human resources decisions. But it is also true that, after an initially less-than-ideal crisis management, it successfully navigated a very difficult 2020.
Psychological Effects of the Pandemic on Cruise Ship Crews.
Several studies on human resource management by cruise lines in the first half of 2020 were published. Their findings revealed that shipowners implemented uneven and sometimes inadequate human resource management strategies, and that most lacked a contingency plan to handle a crisis of this magnitude, as was also the case with most national governments and healthcare systems. Starting from scratch, cruise lines had to develop a comprehensive contingency plan to manage COVID-19 outbreaks on board, as mandated by the CDC's No Sail Order.
Following the chaos of mid-March 2020, crew members quickly developed worries, fears, and sleep disturbances as they found themselves literally trapped at sea, often due to government policies that completely ignored maritime trade. They feared not being able to see their families and friends, being unable to provide financial support to their loved ones, and felt they had lost control of their lives. Anxiety among cruise ship employees stranded at sea increased due to fears of an uncertain future and an economic recession, just as it had for most people on land. During a pandemic, worries and fears generate certain levels of anxiety in otherwise healthy individuals. As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, cruise ship crew members began to experience sleep disturbances, which were linked to the combination of worries, fears, and anxiety. The causal relationship between anxiety and sleep quality due to this specific stressful situation became clear.
At the height of the Covid-19 epidemic, 400,000 sailors were trapped at sea aboard their ships.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, cruise ship crews experienced a lack of social cohesion on board and a lack of social support from family and friends, sometimes leading to the development of depression. Without the opportunity to socialize with other crew members due to restrictive social distancing, much like we experienced on land during lockdown, each cruise ship employee was left alone to face their worries and fears. Fear is an essential adaptive defense mechanism for survival, triggering various biochemical processes in response to potential threats. Furthermore, despair, diminished well-being, combined with the loss of hope that the day of final repatriation was in sight, affected how cruise ship crew members felt, thought, and acted. In extreme cases, chronic or disproportionate fear can damage people's mental health and, as it progresses, can lead to the development of psychiatric problems.
Uncertainty about the future, anxiety, and neurosis, coupled with the inability to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, were the main components associated with the perceived stress of cruise ship crews. Uncertainty about the future paralyzed the crews, who were preoccupied with the day of their final repatriation, the loss of their only source of income, and their own future. The unique circumstances of crews trapped at sea left them with little opportunity to manage their negative emotions. Thus, emotion regulation strategies such as:
• Communicating with others to feel good;
• Working or keeping busy;
• Enjoying pleasurable activities to improve mood;
• Doing everything possible to solve a problem;
These regulations did not apply to cruise ship crew members stranded at sea due to the "no sail" order issued by the US CDC and other national regulatory bodies. Therefore, cruise ship crew members had a largely passive role regarding their own grievances about their lack of control over their lives. This certainty implies that the uncertainty of what the future holds, coupled with the distress and inability to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, created worries and anxiety in many people.
Cruise ships were singled out as an epidemiological nightmare during the early days of the pandemic. We all remember the episode of an affected cruise ship, repeatedly televised, which quickly led us to identify previously normal onboard activities that were soon demonized: theater shows, buffets with endless queues, indoor karaoke, and so on. But they also posed a problem for the mental health of some crew members, who watched as the passengers were, sooner or later, repatriated, while they remained onboard, mostly confined to cabins to prevent the spread of the pandemic. The improvement that came with crew members using passenger cabins did not compensate for this situation.
The workers blamed the CDC for imposing nearly impossible restrictions on crew travel, such as requiring cruise lines to sign off on an endless litany of confinement, testing, quarantine, and other requirements for disembarkation through U.S. ports and airports, under threat of criminal penalties. Initially, cruise lines also faced criticism for their hesitation and uncertainty. However, they ultimately went all out: a Carnival spokesperson confirmed that their company ended up spending $300 million and chartering 225 flights to bring crews home from more than 100 countries, but the constantly shifting regulations meant that even the simplest crew movements required weeks of work, including diplomatic efforts. A Royal Caribbean spokesperson commented that the constant changes in government regulations caused severe delays, and that they worked for months to get crews home by ship and plane.
The situation reached such a point that not all crew members suffered in silence. In mid-May 2020, protests sparked by the crews' uncertainty took place on several ships to draw public attention. These events finally raised awareness among shipping companies, leading several vessels to cross the Atlantic to Southampton to disembark European crew members due to the lack of transatlantic flights.
In April, the United States restricted the repatriation of crew members on charter flights. The US Coast Guard, overwhelmed by dozens of medical evacuations of crew members with COVID-19, advised cruise lines to seek medical assistance for their crew members in their flag state. The problem lies in the lack of flexibility in registrations. At the start of the pandemic, the Bahamas, the flag state for many cruise ships, rejected requests to evacuate passengers and, later, to repatriate crew members. Its authorities cited limited resources and the hurricanes they had endured as reasons why they could not do more. Only Barbados allowed flights from Bridgetown, on which thousands of crew members returned to their home countries. The situation was so dire that the United Nations had to call on countries worldwide to lift travel restrictions for seafarers.
Repatriation plans by land and air.
In May, Royal Caribbean announced an ambitious repatriation plan to more than sixty countries using charter flights and the company's own ships. Under this plan, hundreds of Royal Caribbean crew members would be transferred, based on their nationality and the ship's location, to different vessels that would take them to various ports from where they would be repatriated.
The crew members from the Caribbean and South America were transferred to the Vision of the Seas, which sailed from Miami on May 15, 2020, to St. Kitts, Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada, Trinidad, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; also to the Rhapsody of the Seas, which sailed from Miami on May 13 to Cartagena, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, and Belize; and to the Adventure of the Seas, which sailed from the Bahamas on May 9 to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica.
The crew experienced the most extreme version of domestic confinement, which has led many people to fall into depression on land.
The Filipino crew members were transferred to the Harmony of the Seas, which took them to Bridgetown, from where they traveled to Manila on charter flights. The Liberty of the Seas did the same, but took its crew members to Miami, from where they were repatriated on charter flights starting on May 18. The Indian crew members returned to their country aboard the Anthem of the Seas, which arrived in Goa in early June. The Indian government had decreed the closure of its borders but allowed the repatriation of its own seafarers. The Indonesian crew members were transferred to the Explorer and Enchantment of the Seas, which took them to Bridgetown and Miami, respectively, from where they were repatriated on charter flights to Jakarta.
The American crew members were repatriated in May. The Romanian and Ukrainian crew members boarded the Navigator of the Seas, which took them to Miami, from where they were repatriated on charter flights beginning May 16. The remaining European crew members boarded the Freedom, Empress, and Majesty of the Seas. These three ships crossed the Atlantic in May from Miami to Southampton, from where they were repatriated.
Royal Caribbean Group Chairman Richard Fain stated in June 2020, “It’s really difficult to convey the complexity of the process to someone who is used to planning simple trips. But our teams are working around the clock with multiple governing bodies to repatriate our crews as quickly as possible. We’ve even gone so far as to use our own ships as crew transports, and currently nine ships are carrying more than 10,000 crew members back to their home countries. It’s a complex and expensive way to do it. But it’s the most reliable way to get these men and women home to their families as quickly as possible. And that’s why we’ve committed to doing it this way.” Michael Bayley shared a Facebook update around that time indicating that 22,558 crew members had been repatriated, and “Royal Caribbean has plans for another 4,041 to return home next week.” In early July 2020, Royal Caribbean announced that it had repatriated 95% of its 40,000 non-essential crew members, and that this figure would rise to 97% by July 15.
In late April 2020, Carnival Cruise Line announced the repatriation of more than 10,000 crew members (following 6,000 lifeboat transfers) on nine ships in its fleet, destined for Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. The ships involved were the Carnival Breeze, Conquest, Dream, Ecstasy, Fantasy, Fascination, Glory, Liberty, and Magic. Carnival Cruise Line also reported that it had repatriated another 10,000 crew members on charter flights. By early August 2020, Carnival stated that it had repatriated 99% of its crew members.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) also had to launch a large-scale maritime crew repatriation operation involving nine of its cruise ships (Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Sun, Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Dawn, and one Oceania ship). NCL's plan was for European crew members to board the Norwegian Breakaway and non-European crew members to board the Norwegian Escape. Crew transfers between ships were conducted using tenders near its private island of Great Stirrup Cay.
In January 2021, faced with the reality that cruises would not resume sailing until the summer, Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed that all non-essential crew members, who had embarked at the end of 2020, would be repatriated. This second operation utilized the Norwegian Joy from the Caribbean and the Norwegian Encore from Southampton, in a maneuver that concluded in April 2021. The Norwegian Encore also sailed between Southampton and Goa in February and March to repatriate Indian crew members, a voyage that ended in April in Manila, bringing Filipino seafarers home.
Practical Implications:
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of cruise lines having a comprehensive strategy to support their crews when they experience anxiety and depression. Anxiety among cruise ship crew members can be addressed with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a psychological treatment with proven efficacy in treating depression and anxiety. In a situation like this, onboard officers must be more accessible than ever and incorporate into their responsibilities the ability to recognize crew members experiencing anxiety and depression, and to be authentic, open, and empathetic when listening to their concerns, fears, and problems. Furthermore, they should explain to their subordinates onboard that it is normal to feel worried and anxious, as uncertainty and a perceived loss of control are two key factors associated with stress and anxiety.
Without the possibility of replacements, the duration of voyages also increased considerably. The normal duration of a crew member's contract ranges from three to eleven months. The pandemic meant that some crew members had to extend their contracts, sometimes (albeit exceptionally) for more than 18 months.
Furthermore, onboard officers should have the support of shipping company management, for example, by providing appropriate online CBT therapy. Studies on the mental health burden during COVID-19 have concluded that digital CBT can address all aspects of stress management and the handling of worry and fear. In addition, remote therapy via video calls has shown very good results in the treatment of anxiety disorders.
The cruise lines were sensitive to this situation: Carnival and Royal Caribbean offered confidential telephone lines for psychological support.
Some practical initiatives implemented on board by shipping companies to improve the mental state of crews were the following:
• Involve crew members in finding new ways to protect themselves against COVID-19.
• Show crew members positive reasons and ways to overcome despair.
• Organize outdoor activities in accordance with current restrictions; for example, walks on decks, yoga and breathing classes, etc., always maintaining prescribed social distancing.
• And involve crew members in resolving repatriation issues, such as contacting their embassies for possible charter flights, potential quarantines in their home countries, and sharing information related to lockdown measures in their home countries with cruise line management.
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) issued a statement this June indicating that 2020 was the worst year on record for maritime workers. It stated that it had helped seafarers collect $45 million in unpaid wages in 2020. This figure could have been much higher if the ITF's 134 coordinators had faced fewer difficulties communicating with crew members due to government restrictions imposed because of COVID-19.
The pandemic has shown that, for some shipowners barely surviving amid marginally viable operations, it was almost impossible to pay for repatriation flights for seafarers to return to their home countries in 2020, and the additional cost of quarantine and vaccinations in 2021. But the financial challenges faced by shipping companies should never be a reason to suspend wage payments or disregard the rights of seafarers. The cruise industry has generally met its labor obligations reliably, with very few exceptions: the entire Cruise & Maritime Voyages fleet was detained in the autumn of 2020 by British authorities due to the conditions in which its crew members were surviving before the company's bankruptcy; the crew of the Karnika, owned by the Indian company Jalesh Cruises, locked themselves aboard their ship to demand their wages; and the crew of Bahama Paradise Cruise Line filed a lawsuit for unpaid wages. These are exceptional cases in an industry that, in general, has been able to meet its responsibilities towards its crews.
Another aspect of the crisis, which according to the ITF has indeed hit the cruise industry, is that the cost of flights and the travel and transit restrictions introduced by governments to combat the spread of COVID-19 resulted in a crew change crisis, in which seafarers are routinely forced to extend their contracts excessively, with some crew members remaining on board for more than a year.
Perhaps the most devastating aspect of the COVID-19 crisis, according to the ILO, was the record number of ship abandonments in 2020. The number of ships listed in the ILO database reached a record 85 in 2020, up from 40 in 2019 and 34 in 2018. Ship abandonments are on the rise, and sadly, one reason for this increase has been flag states failing to meet their responsibilities to seafarers. Flag states are supposed to ensure that on ships flying their flag, they pay crew members on time, repatriate them upon completion of their contracts, and provide for their basic needs.
The Importance of Information for Crew Members
This last aspect of information is of paramount importance. Shipping companies need to be transparent in their communication with crew members, providing timely and appropriate updates. Crew members were fully aware that their managers were fighting for the survival of their companies in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, preventing potential takeovers, or trying to mitigate the drop in share value.
In the spring, the United Nations requested all member countries to vaccinate seafarers in their country of residence, or in ports of call where vaccines were available.
However, as happened on land, the lack of information and/or inaccurate information fueled the crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated everything that organizations of all kinds have to learn about empathizing with their employees in these circumstances. Cruise liners were not immune to this situation. The fact that the main source of information during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic for cruise ships was social media and the news media is undeniable. In Spain, we have the clear example of Pullmantur, whose revival appeared periodically in the media, while its employees suffered the anxiety first of temporary layoffs (ERTE) and then permanent layoffs (ERE). Although some cruise lines launched slogans like "We will be back," unfortunately, they did not instill a sense of security in crew members and employees on land, resulting in a cold reaction. Perhaps there was a lack of empathy to understand what the crew members wanted to hear
- when they were going to be repatriated to their countries of origin.
- that financial support they would have while they were at home, off the ships.
- and what his actual employment situation was.
The cruise industry certainly experienced a dramatic drop in employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic; moreover, this unemployment problem also affected the families of crew members. While stranded at sea, crew members generally received their wages, but never their tips. Furthermore, they were unable to look for other work, increase their visibility in the job market, or reorganize their family finances by cutting expenses.
To mitigate the negative impact on cruise ship crews, some cruise lines provided a minimum basic salary to all their cruise employees affected by the pandemic, or guaranteed them a new ship if the lines resumed operations. This was the case for the crews of Viking Ocean Cruises. In April 2020, Viking Ocean Cruises, one of the fastest-growing premium cruise lines in recent years, announced a generous financial compensation package for its crew amidst the COVID-19 crisis. To ensure that Viking crew members continued to receive a salary during the following months, the cruise line offered its crew the following plan, effective April 1, 2020.
- The crew at home awaiting embarkation would receive 50% of their monthly salary.
- The hotel crew on board will receive 60% of their monthly salary.
- The deck and engine room crew will continue to work as usual and will receive 100% of their monthly salary.
In addition, Viking decided to include first-time crew members who had signed contracts with the cruise line but had never set sail due to the pandemic. They also received a goodwill payment: this group of crew members received 50% of their monthly salary four weeks after the embarkation date specified in their contracts. Viking also gave them a $250 Christmas bonus. Viking's crews will likely repay this show of generosity with unwavering loyalty.
The Difficulty of Finding Vaccinated Crew Members:
Following the introduction of vaccines in late 2020 and the mass vaccination campaigns in the USA and Europe, the cruise industry began to consider resuming operations. Ships were docked or anchored, generally near traditional cruise destinations (the Caribbean and the Mediterranean), but with minimal crews. All stakeholders in this return to activity agreed on the importance of vaccines, which would be required for passengers. The logical consequence was that crew members would also need to be vaccinated. But how could crew members, generally from developing countries, arrive vaccinated on board? Furthermore, in April/May, the Indian variant of COVID-19 emerged in all its severity, leading some cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean Group, to temporarily suspend the hiring of Indian crew members due to the worsening COVID-19 situation in that country. India is a significant source of crew members, who generally occupy key positions in the catering, housekeeping, and cabin crew departments. According to the Norwegian Seafarers Union (NSU), approximately 15% of crew members come from India, compared to 30% from the Philippines and 11% from Indonesia.
Recruitment agencies continued recruiting globally, including from the Philippines, Indonesia, and China, while developing pre-departure testing protocols, protective measures during voyages, and testing and quarantine procedures upon arrival on board ships. Meanwhile, all adopted a cautious stance regarding Indian crew members, as India had also imposed travel restrictions and canceled many flights from its airports. Other countries, such as South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, were also excluded from recruitment processes. At that time, the shortage of seafarers and crew members in key positions was a real threat, due to concerns that the surge in cases in India could spread to other Asian countries. Reports from the April 19–23, 2021, meeting of the Special Tripartite Committee of the Labour at Sea Convention 2006 showed that the IMO, ILO, and other international organizations called on governments to prioritize maritime and aircrews in national vaccination programs alongside other essential workers—a request that has not been fulfilled…except in India.
Cruise ship owners have argued this spring that one of the biggest obstacles to resuming service is getting enough crew vaccinated. Partnerships between cruise lines and homeports are helping to achieve that goal.
The situation began to normalize at the end of May, when cruise lines like Royal Caribbean International began recruiting Indian crew members again, with strict safety protocols: an initial PCR test in the country of origin, a two-week quarantine, a second PCR test, a charter flight, a third PCR test, vaccination, quarantine on board the ship, and a fourth PCR test. These protocols remained in place until widespread vaccination was available.
Also in May, news began to emerge about mass vaccinations of crew members. One of the first examples was Dream Cruises, which announced on May 7 that all crew members of the Explorer Dream had received the vaccine. Dream Cruises was the first in Asia, a continent with an advantage due to its experience with pandemics. Two ships in its fleet, the Explorer Dream and the World Dream, had been offering cruises since the end of last year from Taiwan and Singapore without a single positive case.
The strategy was clear: cruise lines had stated they planned to vaccinate all their crew members before fully resuming operations. However, vaccination is, in theory, voluntary. News reports indicate that virtually all cruise lines asked their crew members to get vaccinated. Some even made this public: Disney Cruise Line doesn't officially require crew members to be vaccinated, but it is offering vaccines on board. On ships based in Europe, AstraZeneca is offered, and on those in the US, Pfizer. AstraZeneca was the most popular vaccine among members of the cruise industry. Viking Ocean also offered that vaccine to its crew members. Carnival Cruise Line asked its crew members to get vaccinated in their home country, if possible, but if not, they would be vaccinated on board. Norwegian Cruise Line vaccinated its crew members during the 14-day quarantine period. In this case, starting April 19, Norwegian Cruise Line administered vaccines to its crew members aboard its ships operating outside the U.S. Unlike what happened with the repatriations in 2020, crew members have expressed on social media that they were happy with how their employers handled the vaccination process.
Cruise ships, which in 2020 took their crew members back to their home countries, are now returning to pick up crew members, such as the Ovation of the Seas, which arrived in Manila to embark crew members in early June, in order to begin its season in Alaska on August 13 from Seattle.
Port Collaboration in Crew Vaccination:
In May and June, the massive vaccination campaign in the United States reached cruise homeports. From Florida to California, crew members of cruise ships docked or anchored in their ports began to be vaccinated, in an effort to accelerate what was considered one of the main challenges for the recovery of the cruise industry in the U.S. Cape Canaveral was the first cruise port in the United States to begin vaccinating Royal Caribbean and Carnival crews in April. Its managing director, John Murray, stated that the vaccination of cruise ship crews “is significantly important to our cruise homeport business, and we are proud of our effort to help this industry get back on its feet.”
And port vaccination programs are already proving their worth, with a growing number of crew members on ships sailing this summer being vaccinated in a growing number of ports. For example, ships sailing to Alaska will have crews vaccinated in North American ports. The crew of the Serenade of the Seas received vaccines in Miami before beginning Alaska cruises in July. In May, the Port of Los Angeles administered 221 vaccines to the crew of the Majestic Princess, another ship sailing to Alaska; and crew members of Holland America Line's Koningsdam, Noordam, and Nieuw Amsterdam (which will sail to Alaska this summer) received vaccines in San Diego and San Pedro.
In May, the crews of Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, and Freedom of the Seas were vaccinated in Miami. And Carnival Cruise Line took two of its ships, the Carnival Vista and the Carnival Breeze, to Galveston, Texas, so that all their crew members could be vaccinated by the University of Texas Hospital.
Between June and July, approximately 3,400 crew members of the Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Gem will be vaccinated in Puerto Rico, in this case with the Janssen vaccine. Both ships will arrive in Puerto Rico from Aruba, where they were decommissioned.
This initiative might be highly controversial in Spain, but in the U.S., state governments, city councils, and port authorities are very clear about the importance of boosting the local economy. In Los Angeles, each time a cruise ship calls, it generates more than a million dollars in extra revenue for local restaurants, hotels, and shops, according to the Port of Los Angeles. The Koningsdam, one of the ships whose crew members were vaccinated, will begin sailing from San Diego in October. According to Holland America, each of its calls will have an estimated economic impact of $300,000.
On June 5th, Royal Caribbean announced that it had vaccinated 2,106 crew members in a single day. 731 crew members from the Allure of the Seas were vaccinated in Miami. And 1,375 crew members from the new Odyssey of the Seas received their vaccines after the ship arrived at Cape Canaveral from Europe. Both the president and CEO of Royal Caribbean thanked these two ports. The day before the record, 420 crew members from the Explorer of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, and Jewel of the Seas were vaccinated. By May 30th, 6,000 RCI crew members had been vaccinated. A 100% vaccinated crew is the best way to ensure a full cruise this summer.
Among European cruise lines, MSC Cruises announced on May 1st an ambitious vaccination program for all its crew members. It had begun the day before with the vaccination of the crew of the MSC Bellissima in Dubai. On May 7th, the vaccination of the crew of the MSC Meraviglia began in Miami, the first to be vaccinated in the US. In its first phase, it included all ships scheduled to sail in the summer of 2021, including the new MSC Virtuosa, which began its maiden voyage in Southampton on May 20th.
Viking Ocean Cruises also aims to vaccinate all crew members on its reactivated ships. Before the new Viking Venus embarked on its maiden voyage on May 22 from Portsmouth, its entire crew had received their first dose of the vaccine during a stop in Malta.
Carnival Corp. has introduced a new strategy: vaccination at the point of origin. Through its subsidiary Carnival Support Services India Pvt. Ltd. (CSSI), in conjunction with the Maritime Association of Shipowners, Shipmanagers and Agents (MASSA) of India, it has organized a COVID-19 vaccination campaign for crew members of all Carnival Corporation & plc brands in Mumbai on June 14 and 15, 2021. The vaccination will be fully funded by Carnival.
Other Challenges to Reactivating the Cruise Fleet:
In addition to vaccination, cruise ship crews face other challenges. Crew vaccination is progressing smoothly in the US, with thousands of sailors vaccinated. However, this is not the case in the rest of the world. And there is a lack of international documentation to validate the vaccines, something essential in a global industry like cruise tourism.
Mental health problems decreased significantly during the cold lay-up period on many ships. And not only because of the reduced crew numbers. Although some contracts had to be extended due to travel bans, regulatory uncertainties surrounding COVID-19, and quarantines, crew members were generally still actively involved in ship maintenance, often living in passenger cabins with balconies. The new COVID-19 safety procedures that all crew members must now follow can be another source of stress. Following the lessons learned in spring 2020, crew mental well-being must be an absolute priority.
In addition to COVID-19 training, crew members must refresh their skills in certain routines, such as evacuation drills, and Safety Management System (SMS) procedures, as well as cyber risks, following the attack suffered by Aida last winter.
Training in infection control following COVID-19 will represent a complete transformation. Previously, regulations existed only in the US, thanks to the CDC, and in a very rudimentary way in Europe. Now, each country, and even each region, has its own public health regulations. Until the necessary harmonization is achieved, some setbacks will continue to occur, such as the one experienced by the MSC Virtuosa with the Scottish authorities. However, the cruise industry has demonstrated an unparalleled capacity to react to the most profound crises and a level of preparedness and adaptation of its policies and procedures that is among the highest in the global tourism industry.
