5 7 sustainability. “The vibrant and beautiful natural surroundings of the world’s rivers are a benefit of river cruising,” says Hoffee. “Avalon Waterways is dedicated to preserving those precious environments with the Lighthouse Project, an initiative created to help travellers come together to reduce our footprint and give generously for the globe’s greater good.” With a mission of nurturing a culture of care and sustainability that extends to guests, the Lighthouse Project is focused on three categories: Planet, People and Places. Avalon Waterways is spotlighting nearly 50 causes in these categories, with plans to add more. They include The Ocean Cleanup, a global non-profit spearheading the largest plastic clean-up in history; Trees4Travel, in partnership with which Avalon Waterways is offsetting the carbon footprint of every guest’s cruise experience in 2022 by donating tens of thousands of trees; and Landmine Design, a social enterprise committed to educating and providing jobs for women living in poverty in Cambodia. Investments in technology to limit energy consumption and emissions are ongoing for the brand. “We’re constantly monitoring new technology in sustainability and are committed to developing new ships – when the technology is available – that allow us to maintain our position of having the most efficient engines in the market,” adds Hoffee. Waste and recycling programmes are helping reduce the fleet’s environmental footprint, save water and foster an environmentally friendly culture among crew and guests worldwide. Achievements to date include eliminating single-use plastics onboard the ships and at operations offices, worldwide; reducing paper waste by 95 per cent onboard; receiving the Green Award for the entire fleet; investing in local farmers to secure locally produced food and beverages, reducing food miles while supporting local economies; and installing LED lighting fleet-wide. The company also works with dozens of ports to purchase shore power while ships are docked. So what’s next for the brand in the coming months and years? Growth is at the heart of the plans as Hoffee says the company is considering “expansion into different ports – including the likely possibility of a new ship on a new river in 2024.” CFR The beds in the Panorama Suites face the balcony windows to give guests a view of their surroundings Photo: 2019 Steve Dunlop
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