The strategy is framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring that sustainability is a core component. The growth of the cruise industry is challenged globally by factors such as sustainability and local community support, and CruiseCopenhagen's 2024 strategy revolves around these two areas.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a global framework for Cruise Copenhagen's new strategy. The board of directors has chosen and prioritized working on three key objectives: Affordable and Clean Energy, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Partnerships for the Goals.
“To continue down this path, we need to establish partnerships that contribute to sustainable cruise tourism and promote the network’s existing sustainability efforts. To this end, we will map our partners’ efforts and establish agreements with relevant sustainable companies,” says Claus Bødker, director of CruiseCopenhagen.
This mapping will be accompanied by an analysis of local community support. CruiseCopenhagen is already working on some of the most common perceptions and potential efforts to ensure local community support. For example, a popular opinion among local residents is that cruise ship guests spend very little money during their stay in the city.
“The truth is that the cruise sector contributes €1.68 billion annually. We need to change the narrative and tell the real story of cruise tourism across Denmark. This also applies to perceptions about cruise emissions: we support the OPS (Operational Port Scheme), but we are aware that it is not possible in
every port without public funding. We must continue to emphasize that sustainability is one of the cruise sector's top priorities,” says Claus Bødker, Director of Cruise Copenhagen.
These actions are consistent with the four pillars of the new strategy: Effective marketing, participation of local communities, improved image and improved passenger experience.
