Cruise tourism is one of the fastest growing sector of travel and leisure industry. In the last fifteen years, cruise industry showed considerable growth. By on the supply side, a positive trend in the growth of number of... [ view full abstract ]
Cruise tourism is one of the fastest growing sector of travel and leisure industry. In the last fifteen years, cruise industry showed considerable growth. By on the supply side, a positive trend in the growth of number of companies, ships and concerning services provided on board and on land has been recorded. In 2017 cruise passengers movements visited at Mediterranean ports were 25.9 millions of passengers (Fig.1), and the Italian area generated a business of more than 4 billion euros each year, which represents more than 37% of Mediterranean cruise traffic (Fig.2). It has to be stressed that the cruise sector also generates significant impact on the landscape, pollution and ecosystem changes. It has been estimated that a cruise of a week produces over 20 tonnes of solid waste. The aim of this abstract is to briefly review the sustainability practises adopted during the last ten years by some cruise companies in order to reduce the quantity of waste produced on board. The methodology adopted consists in the analysis of the main studies and reporting about this issue. Firstly, general data were observed on available scientific literature, although still lacking for this topic (e.g. less than 50 articles as results of the search engine with the string "cruise ships waste" since 1999). Then, the specific data were collected from the sustainability reports of cruise lines, classified according to the international convention MARPOL (73/78) and assessed on the basis of the environmental performance indicators (series EN23: Emissions, discharges and waste). In addition, on-the-ground verifications, acts and reports of international organizations, statistics drawn up by sector associations and reference legislation have been used. This kind of analysis encourages an increasing scientific production, the adoption by the international organizations in the preparation of measures to environmental protection, considering that nowadays few companies have been adopted environmental practices and often on voluntary base. Inter alia, the European regulation (2015/757) underlined also the increasing attention paid to the high impacts of the maritime traffic, which provide for this sector the monitoring, communication and verification of carbon dioxide emissions generated by the transport fuels. It has to be pointed out that also the treatment of ship waste represents a critical phase of the management. This review underlined that some companies (e.g. Costa Cruise) reduced by over 15% (from 8.2 to 6.7 liters per person/day) the amount of waste generated on board in the last ten years. In conclusion, without adequate coordination between companies, administrations and management bodies, cruise tourism will continue to increase its environmental burdens. Therefore, it is significant to implement more sustainable cruise practices, based on the integration with the local economy and community and actively supported as mandatory measures, in order to discourage from short-term opportunistic activities and enhance campaigns for the sustainability awareness towards tourists and adequate training for the crew.
Keywords: cruise industry, environmental pollution, solid waste.
5e. Sustainable consumption and consumers
