By
Michele Witthaus |
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has formed an alliance with eight other regional cruise bodies, creating a common organisation with a unified structure.
The members of the new body will each use the CLIA name with the appropriate geographic designation, and the existing association offices will remain in place.
CLIA’s president and CEO, Christine Duffy, said on 17 December that the move would allow the organisation to serve as “the voice and advocacy leader of the global cruise industry”. CLIA will be governed by a Global Executive Committee, chaired by Howard Frank, vice chairman, chief operating officer and member of the Executive Committee of Carnival Corporation & plc.
The associations involved are CLIA, the European Cruise Council, the Asia Cruise Association, the Passenger Shipping Association, France’s AFCC, Brazil’s ABREMAR, Northwest and Canada Cruise Association, Alaska Cruise Association and the International Cruise Council Australasia.
“We are now truly one industry with one voice,” said Howard Frank. “Given the tremendous growth and continuing globalisation of the cruise industry, this evolution addresses the need to speak and act globally with a unified voice while recognising the importance of local relationships. The new association will play a vital role in proactively shaping the policy and regulatory environments on a global level and promoting cruising with various constituencies through more effective coordination, communication and stakeholder engagement.”
Duffy commented: “There are immediate and longer term benefits from the new association that are extensive and wide ranging. It enables us to better leverage our members’ and partners’ investment in association membership while strengthening the industry’s leadership globally on issues such as safety, security, the environment, sustainability and health. It also allows us to consolidate industry research and to leverage promotional events and marketing communication to facilitate greater consumer interest in cruising.”
Duffy will lead a team focused on international technical and regulatory issues, research, communications, industry relations and public affairs. The new organisation will represent the cruise industry at the International Maritime Organization, the International Labour Organization and other international maritime and shipping organisations around the world.