61 Guests sailing with Swan Hellenic visit off-the-beaten path destinations, such as Pongara National Park in Gabon feasibility of their ships visiting regularly. They can then use the results of these trials to devise a long-term strategy for gradually improving the services, infrastructure and experiences they offer for both passengers and crew members. “Initially, destinations should promote themselves to cruise brands with ships of a size and passenger capacity that can be accommodated with the existing port and tourist infrastructure,” he says. “By doing this, they can test the capacity of this infrastructure and the wider destination to accommodate cruise calls and evaluate the impact of passengers on the local community and earn their approval. Local stakeholders can then build tendering or berthing infrastructures and identify or develop new points of interest for cruise guests to increase traffic in future.” Lamy’s advice is particularly relevant for small ports wanting to capitalise on the growing number of travellers looking to explore lesser-known, off-the-beatenpath destinations that offer unique and immersive experiences, rather than large marquee ports. He suggest that small ports aiming to raise their profile with cruise lines should also join industry associations such as MedCruise or Cruise Europe. “This will enable them to meet with cruise line executives and better understand the best practices for developing a successful passenger experience, while maximising the benefits for the local community,” he explains. Taking an iterative approach will help ports and destination authorities to proactively address concerns from locals about issues such as the environmental impact of cruise ships and increased congestion in town or cities. “Over the last few years we have seen some protests against ships calling at major destinations that have invested to develop their cruise port infrastructure and increase traffic,” says Lamy. “Many ports are facing pressure from local communities to limit the number of cruise ships, for example. One solution to this is for ports to adapt their berthing policies to cap the number of cruise ships or passengers arriving in the destination per day or year, or restrict visits on certain days. Cruise Lines International Association is also working to bring together all cruise lines and destinations around the world to help resolve these types of issues. “Successful cruise destinations are those where guests feel welcomed by the local community. Taking these steps will allow ports to ensure they can develop a sustainable cruise offering that is popular with both guests and locals.” “ Successful cruise destinations are those where guests feel welcomed by the local community”
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