Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2021

6 4 INTERV IEW In this together Cruise Line International Association’s president and CEO Kelly Craighead discusses the outlook of the cruise industry with Rebecca Barnes What were your initial thoughts when cruise ships were ordered to suspend operations due to the unfolding pandemic? Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and our ocean-going cruise line members voluntarily suspended global operations in mid-March 2020. It was impressive to witness the focus and commitment of our cruise line and port partners bringing in hundreds of thousands of passengers and crew from ships around the world and delivering them home to more than 100 countries amid rapidly closing borders and ever-changing travel restrictions. Our members went above and beyond to put people first and prioritise their health and safety, including chartering private ground transportation and flights at great cost. CLIA was proud to support the enormous repatriation effort by interfacing with governments and local authorities across the globe. What have been your main focuses since? CLIA is focused on supporting our community through government relations, public affairs, policy development and strategic communications efforts. From making the case for financial relief on behalf of the small and medium-sized businesses that make up our travel trade and supplier base, to providing the platform for the sharing of best practices and information between and amongst our members and experts through new virtual platforms, to representing the industry at countless forums, CLIA is working around the clock to facilitate a responsible return, so that the 1.2 million people who rely on a functioning cruise industry can recover from the economic fallout. How did your role change in response to the situation? I can tell you that neither myself nor my colleagues have gotten much rest over the past year and a half. The global nature of the cruise business means that it’s always “I have never seen a community come together the way the cruise community has in the face of this pandemic”