17 Sep Principles of Responsible Cruise tourism

As a member organization of the Global Cruise Activist Network, Seattle Cruise Control subscribes to the Principles of Responsible Cruise Tourism. For decades, the cruise ship industry’s business practices have put the social fabric, economic integrity, public health, and environment of port communities, as well as passengers, crew, coastal and marine ecosystems, and the climate, at risk. The latest example of this, cruise companies’ recent mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis, shows that the industry is unwilling to protect the public interest absent legally binding regulation. Inspired by the 2002 Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism, the Future of Tourism Coalition’s Guiding Principles, and the principles and protocols of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent, cruise port communities and their allies have come together to urge worldwide commitment to and implementation and monitoring of the Principles of Responsible Cruise Tourism listed below. The Global Cruise Activist Network calls on cruise companies to delay their return to operations until they address these principles by publishing detailed plans with explicit commitments, benchmarks, and timelines that commit each company to implementing specific levels of performance and compliance over time. Read the full list of Principles on the Global Cruise Activist Network website.