The CLIA Spain column
Alfredo Serrano
Managing Director CLIA Spain
Article from CruisesNews magazine no. 63 – December 2022
From recovery to increased communication
December is – par excellence – the month that invites reflection. Inevitably, snapshots of the year we are about to close flash through our minds: achievements, lessons learned, and, of course, we set goals for the coming year. How has 2022 been for the industry?
After two years marked by the pandemic, its limitations, and the establishment of a new normal that bore little resemblance to our own, 2022 has been characterized by steady progress toward the industry's recovery. Thus, and after a first quarter in which the omicron variant gained unwelcome prominence, virtually the entire fleet was operational by last summer.
While we await the final figures, customers are responding positively. Despite the challenges we face, we are eager to travel. In fact, several cruise lines have recently broken booking records, and the latest wave of our opinion survey reveals an increased appetite for enjoying a cruise in the coming years among Spanish cruisers surveyed (89% in 2022 vs. 86% in 2019).
Beyond recovery, shipping has continued to make port calls on one of the most important aspects of our journey: environmental sustainability. With decarbonization as an absolute (though not the only) priority, the industry has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions globally by 2050. Recognizing that this is a shared challenge, it has urged governments to create a clear regulatory framework and promote the development and supply of sustainable marine fuels. As we have stated repeatedly, we embrace our leadership role in the green transformation of shipping; we will only be able to achieve the ambitious goals set if all stakeholders at every level join forces and work together towards the same objective.
Finally, and equally important, over the past twelve months we have continued to collaborate with ports and destinations on tourism management, as well as on promoting practices that foster the responsible development of the cruise industry, maximizing its benefits. In the specific case of Spain, the agreement signed last May by the cruise lines with the Government of the Balearic Islands could be considered the prime example of this collaboration.
2023: an opportunity to communicate more and better.
Without forgetting the need to bolster the recovery and advance in decarbonization, we have an added challenge: to debunk the myths and put an end to the half-truths surrounding the industry, often supported by arguments with a more ideological slant than by objective facts.
Numerous data points support our commitment to innovation; our search for alternatives to minimize the externalities that, like any other activity, it generates; and the fact that we are an economic engine both in the destinations we visit and in other sectors across Europe. This is the case, for example, with European shipyards: 80% of their civilian order book consists of cruise ships.
The time has come to take a step forward and communicate our initiatives more effectively so they reach society clearly and simply; to further emphasize our commitment to the environment and the regions; and to highlight the fact that we are dealing with high-quality tourism that generates wealth. Ultimately, it's about increasing the volume of the industry and reducing the noise; about strengthening our communication.
