180 There are multiple advantages to building sustainable maritime interiors, including opportunities to reduce waste, improve health, cut emissions, save energy and reduce costs. Add to that the potential to increase sales and yield by meeting the growing demand for greener ships from guests and it is likely that improvements in this area of shipbuilding will become the norm sooner rather than later, given the availability of appropriate industry support for change. Seeking out sustainable materials and creating greener interiors can be a means of communicating a brand’s core principles and ethics to guests, who are increasingly looking to brands to be more transparent about their values. They will choose to travel with cruise lines, for example, which can reassure them that they are taking steps to reduce their environmental footprint. Making sustainability visible to guests For cruise and ferry brands, the chance to attract new passengers is always compelling and the trend towards sustainable interiors is a major global wave they can ride to pull in guests who have already begun to choose land-based holidays at environmentally built and operated hotels or resorts and are looking to replicate this type of experience onboard ships. Reputational benefits accrue to visibly sustainable companies as travellers develop higher social and environmental expectations. The green travel sector is no longer a niche group these days as sustainability has become central to thinking about the social and economic future of countries as well as about the threat and reality of climate change. Growth in demand for more environmentally friendly lifestyles is reflected in consumer buying behaviours that reflect ethical and sustainability concerns. Under these circumstances, investment in building sustainable vessels is a win‐win strategy that helps secure the economic future of shipowners and operators while reducing impacts on the planet. The interiors of cruise and ferry vessels make an impact on guests because they are the first thing they see when they step onboard the ship. Creating ‘sustainability stories’ for these interiors is a great opportunity to give customers peace of mind that the brand they have chosen to travel with respects and cares for the environments they will visit on their journey. THE ROAD AHEAD The benefits of building more sustainable interiors – “The social tide has shifted towards sustainability and as much as affordability remains a consideration, ethical consumerism has not only arrived – it is the future” The chapters in this ‘The road ahead’ section of the report consider perspectives on the future of sustainability, which have been distilled from suggestions submitted by the industry participants who contributed to this report. Comments were provided on the basis of anonymity to encourage frank and open discussion.
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