208 NORTH AMERICA: INTERVIEW The heartland of North America Adam Tindall-Schlicht of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation tells Elly Yates-Roberts his plans for the future of the waterway’s cruising industry Verdant, varied, vast are three words often used to describe the landscape surrounding the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway. It is unsurprising then that the waterway has become a popular tourist attraction, particularly when it comes to cruising. “Cruising on the Great Lakes is unique in the global context,” says Adam TindallSchlicht, administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS), who highlights the region’s scenery, destinations, convenience, safety and efficiency as major factors in its popularity. “The area offers breathtaking landscapes and a variety of ports, islands, cities and freshwater wonders,” he says. “Cruising provides a stunning, efficient and convenient way to explore it all in a relatively short amount of time during the same trip.” For US and Canadian tourists, the Great Lakes also offer a more sustainable holiday option. Individuals can avoid long-haul, international flights while also supporting some of the “most environmentally sophisticated cruise lines in the world”, according to Tindall-Schlicht. “The brands operating in the area are investing in cleaner technologies, reducing single-use plastics and increasing recycling efforts.” In addition to this, several of the ports and cruise lines have signed the Cruise the Great Lakes Sustainability Pledge, which aims to expand environmentally conscious cruising while preserving the natural beauty of the Great Lakes region. “These efforts, which include destination stewardship, carbon reduction, wastewater and recycling “ A good climate and environmental policy is also a good economic and tourism policy”
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