Marozaite recommends that those who are keen to see wildlife choose cruises to renowned destinations such as The Galapagos and Antarctica, as well as lesser-known but “equally phenomenal and unique” places like Baja California, New Zealand’s Sub-Antarctic Islands and Australia’s Kimberley Coast. Meanwhile, destinations such as Papua New Guinea and various South Pacific Islands offer “mind-blowing cultural experiences”, which are often combined with water-based activities in diverse coral reef systems. “Those looking for a softer adventure can sail with Aranui Cruises to experience incredible cultural immersion in French Polynesia,” adds Marozaite. “Many may also be surprised to know that the UK and Iceland are two of the fastestgrowing expedition cruise destinations as they have both unique natural coastal features and rich human history – two of the components operators look for when choosing destinations.” Expedition cruising is not restricted to the oceans, however. “There are some incredible river experiences where guests can travel down the Amazon in Peru, or the Mekong River in Cambodia and Vietnam with Aqua Expeditions,” says Marozaite. “Or they can experience the Ganges river and Indian hospitality onboard Antara Cruises’ ships.” With so many of the world’s waters still unchartered, Marozaite says there is “no doubt” that the number of expedition cruise destinations will increase. “The travel trade wants to see more places in Africa, Asia and South America on itineraries, but there is still space to grow in existing expedition destinations such as The Kimberley region, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Melanesia and West Africa.” Another element that has remained a consistent priority for operators since the advent of expedition cruising is the need to respect the environment, biodiversity and local communities in the destinations they visit. “From the beginning, expedition cruising has focused on respecting the environment with the hope that when people experienced these beautiful and unique places for themselves, it would lead to a desire to preserve them,” says Marozaite. “All ECN members take their carbon footprint and their impact on both wildlife and local communities extremely seriously, so they’re working to detailed sustainability plans and contributing to citizen science projects. The sector also works with voluntary self-regulatory organisations and educate our cruise guests and the travel trade community on sustainability, climate change and human impact.” In addition, ECN members follow strict guidelines on the size of ships to prevent overcrowding and a number of cruise lines are developing hybrid-powered vessels. “Sustainability is at the forefront of ECN’s strategies and central to the success of our members,” says Marozaite. “We’re committed to keep moving towards becoming a fully sustainable form of travel and working closely with our cruise brands to reduce our impact on destinations and achieve the United Nations’ net-zero carbon emissions goal by 2050. We’ve got a long way to go but we’re implementing a number of initiatives to help the network get there.” ECN also remains committed to connecting ship operators with the travel trade community to increase knowledge about the sector and position expedition cruising as an excellent travel choice, says Marozaite. “As the sector grows, we’ll continue to act as its global voice, spreading our passion for expedition travel and supporting our members along the way.” “ From the beginning, expedition cruising has focused on respecting the environment” Expedition brands immerse their guests in the destinations by taking them on Zodiac trips to places like Cierva Cove in Antarctica 67 Photo: Lina Stock/Divergent Travelers
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