1 9 7 V IEWPOINT Sustainability is the most important pillar of our association, and it is approached in a holistic and human centric manner. For example, collaboration, innovation and implementation define our #MedCruise4OurPlanet vision and we work with multiple organisations – including the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the European Commission (EC) and Cruise Lines International Association – to develop sustainable destination criteria and promote cruise activities in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas. We also participated in a campaign with One Tree and General Assembly Registration to plant 185 trees in Portugal and France via Reforest Action. This has created storage for 28 tons of carbon dioxide, 555 shelters for wildlife, 740 months’ worth of oxygen, and over 185 hours of local employment. We also implement a low printing policy; all publications are delivered in digital-only formats, we use QR code business cards, and we identify the best online-only options for marketing. In addition, we are working on a project with Bocconi University in Italy, and we have received funding from the EC to identify strategies to prevent and minimise pollution from cruise and tourism activities. As part of this, we will provide a course for industry stakeholders to learn about the associated terminology, issues and global legislation. Beyond these efforts, MedCruise is also modernising its approach to sustainability using data. We have created a set of goals to extract important information for developing reliable and user-friendly resources. We aim to become the single source of trustworthy data about the cruise industry. Currently, MedCruise member ports collect and use their data separately from each other. Connecting this data will help us to better understand the cruise industry in the Mediterranean as a whole. As such, we are developing a project to visualise data and implement a governance structure that will help us to make informed decisions based on accurate and up-todate information. It will also encourage collaboration between ports and help us and them to better understand passenger needs and port growth opportunities. CFR Aimilia Papachristou is the secretary general of MedCruise Holistic sustainability By Aimilia Papachristou, MedCruise Environmentally friendly initiatives and a new focus on cross-port data sharing are key to the future of cruising in the Mediterranean “ We aim to become the single source of trustworthy data about the cruise industry” MedCruise is participating in multiple initiatives to help protect the planet, including reforestation programmes
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