Arctic Expedition cruise tourism

Transcription

1 Arctic Expedition cruise tourism Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators Jørn Henriksen, Chair of AECO s Executive Committee AECO.NO

2 AECO - An international industry association 69 members (42 operators, vessel owners and vessel management.) 51 vessels (41 ships of 12+ passengers, 10 commercial yachts)

3 AECO s overall objectives Ensure environmentally friendly, responsible and safe cruise tourism in the Arctic Advocate for the expedition cruise industry, and AECO s members interests

4 The AECO Secretariat Frigg Jørgensen Executive Director Longyearbyen Ilja Leo Lang Assistant Director Copenhagen M. Florencia Becherini Administration and Finance Officer Longyearbyen

5 The AECO Secretariat Edda Falk Communications Manager Oslo Ida Lund Winther Area Manager Copenhagen Sarah Auffret Environmental Agent Tromsø

6 Geographic range Arctic region (IMO definition). Core areas: Svalbard, Jan Mayen, Greenland, Arctic Canada and the Russian Arctic national park.

7 What is expedition cruising? Smaller vessels ( pax) Focus on experiencing nature. Expedition leader, guides and lecturers enrichen passenger experience. Vessels sailing in polar waters often have ice class Itinerary can be adapted according to local conditions Less dependent on ports, can sail to more remote regions.

8 Growth estimates So what lies ahead? Adventure travel, ecotravel and polar regions becoming more popular Developments in passenger demographics News ships, increased berth capacity Operators new to the Arctic New technology and activities AECO is the industry s platform for managing sustainable growth.

9 New, greener ships Expedition cruise fleet is relatively old and is currently undergoing renewal. 26 polar class expedition cruise ships on order (shipbuilders include Kleven, VARD, Ulstein) New technology and increased comfort (hybrid propulsion, high ice class, stabilizers, fuel efficiency, luxury accommodation, etc.)

10 How does AECO manage sustainable growth? Environment Safety Community

11 Guidelines Wildlife guidelines Biosecurity guidelines Visitor guidelines Community guidelines Animated guidelines Site-specific guidelines Operational guidelines

12 Setting higher standards Drone ban Supports HFO ban Shared sailing plans

13 Enhancing safe navigation Contact point between industry, government and relevant entities. Statistics and trends Additional tools: Crowd sourced depth soundings AECO Vessel Tracker AECO Cruise Database

14 Search and rescue efforts Joint Arctic SAR tabletop exercise Participation in exercises Networking Importance of cruise ships as vessels of opportunity

15 Clean Seas initiative Reduce single-use plastics on ships. Coordinate cleanups. Develop material for training and education with UN Environment. Total funding NOK 2.43 million from Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund and Norwegian Environment Agency

16 Managing growth Industry self-regulation Using the industry s expertise Dialogue with authorities and stakeholders Being one step ahead Thinking long-term

17 Learn more: AECO s Arctic Cruise Conference, Oct. 17, Oslo Newsletter: Social media: Twitter Facebook - ArcticCruiseOperators

18 @ArcticCruiseOp