Kelly Craighead - CLIA February-March 2020 Newsletter

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 

NEWSLETTER 

INSIDE 

COVID-19 Update 2 

In Memoriam 9 

Filming Begins for the 

Industry’s Storytelling 

Initiative “Taking the Helm” 10 

European Shipping Week 10 

Destination Stewardship 11 

A Preliminary Look at 

2020 – Save These Dates 13 

Team Updates 13 

4 MARCH 2020 

A MESSAGE FROM 

Kelly Craighead, President & CEO 

Dear CLIA Cruise Line Members and Partners, 

The CLIA team worldwide has been working around the 

clock to support the industry through issues related to 

COVID-19. At the same time, we also remain focused on 

executing our strategy and ambitious plans to influence 

decision makers and enhance the reputation of the 

industry on behalf of our ocean cruise line members, as 

well as the wider cruise community including our river 

marketing affiliates, travel agent community, and cruise 

line suppliers and partners. 

Please read the latest message to members that details our plans and remembers our 

colleague and friend, Charles A. Robertson. 

Best regards, 

Kelly Craighead 

President & CEO 

Cruise Lines International Association 

kcraighead@cruising.org

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 NEWSLETTER 

COVID-19 Update 

Coincident with the COVID-19 outbreak as a global health 

emergency and the adoption of the enhanced CLIA Public 

Health Policy on January 30, CLIA immediately engaged 

the Medical Working Group (MWG) and deployed an 

integrated plan (inclusive of government affairs, strategic 

communications, and maritime policy strategies) to support 

and protect the cruise industry’s interests. 

BREAKING 

NEWS: 

NEW AND 

NOTEWORTHY 

As part of our work to address issues related to 

the COVID-19 virus, CLIA cruise line members 

have agreed to deploy enhanced screenings in 

the interest of protecting the health and wellbeing 

of passengers and crew. 

As the geographic impact of COVID-19 has evolved, so have 

the policies ocean-going cruise line members have agreed 

to follow. The latest additions are to deny boarding to all 

persons who have traveled from or transited via airports in 

South Korea (added 28 February), Iran (added 1 March), and 

any municipality in Italy under a quarantine order by the 

Italian Government, as designated by the Ministry of Foreign 

Affairs, (added 2 March), as well as conduct illness screening 

(added 3 March) for all persons who have traveled from, 

visited or transited via airports in any destinations listed on 

the U.S. CDC “Coronavirus Disease 2019 Information for 

Travel” page, within 14 days prior to embarkation. 

Accordingly, the comprehensive list of enhanced screening 

measures in effect as of 3 March 2020, is as follows: 

• CLIA Members are to deny boarding to all persons 

who have travelled from, visited or transited via 

airports in South Korea, Iran, China, including Hong 

Kong and Macau, and any municipality in Italy subject 

to lockdown (quarantine) measures by the Italian 

Government, as designated by the Ministry of Foreign 

Affairs posted at https://www.esteri.it/Mae/en, within 

14 days prior to embarkation. 

or diagnosed as having COVID-19, or who are 

currently subject to health monitoring for possible 

exposure to COVID-19. 

CLIA Members are to conduct pre-boarding screening 

necessary to effectuate these prevention measures. 

Enhanced screening and initial medical support are to be 

provided, as needed, to any persons exhibiting symptoms of 

suspected COVID-19. 

We will continue to evaluate these policies and consider 

further enhancements as appropriate. 

In coordination with cruise lines, medical experts and 

regulators around the world, CLIA and its member lines will 

continue to closely monitor for new developments related 

to COVID-19 and will modify these policies as necessary 

with the utmost consideration for the health and safety 

of passengers and crew. With strict measures in place, as 

guided by national and international health authorities, CLIA 

and its member lines, in concert with pronouncements from 

the World Health Organization, do not believe restrictions on 

the movement of ships are justified. 

The adoption of these measures further demonstrates 

the cruise industry’s unique ability to respond quickly as 

circumstances evolve. We remain in close contact with local 

governments around the world, and while we regret that 

these changes will result in the denial of boarding for some 

of our guests, travelers should know that their health and 

safety is the absolute priority for the industry. 

• CLIA Members are to conduct illness screening for all 

persons who have traveled from, visited or transited 

via airports in any destinations listed on the U.S. CDC 

“Coronavirus Disease 2019 Information for Travel” 

page at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ 

travelers within 14 days before embarkation. Illness 

screening includes symptom history checks for fever, 

cough and difficulty breathing in the 14 days before 

embarkation and taking of temperature. 

• CLIA Members are to deny boarding to all persons 

who, within 14 days prior to embarkation, have had 

contact with, or helped care for, anyone suspected 

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For additional information about the cruise industry’s 

response to COVID-19, please visit these online resources: 

COVID-19 Media Kit or email press@cruising.org. 

Our ongoing communications emphasize the following as 

core messages: 

• Health and Safety First: The safety, health, and wellbeing 

of passengers and crew is the industry’s number 

one priority. 

• Effectiveness of Response: The enhanced measures 

that CLIA members have agreed to adopt in response 

to COVID-19 appear to be working—only one of the 272 

ships within the global CLIA fleet have had confirmed 

cases of COVID-19 onboard. The affected ship began 

its 29-day itinerary on 6 January—well in advance of 

the CLIA-required enhanced screenings. 

• Experience and Capability: The cruise industry has 

extensive experience and expertise providing for the 

health and safety of passengers and crew—and are 

required to be equipped onboard to manage and 

respond in times of medical need. 

In addition to proactively sharing our core messaging, we 

have engaged public health authorities and conducted 

outreach with government officials in North America, the 

Caribbean, Europe, and the United Kingdom, and tens of 

thousands of travel agents and travel agencies, and other 

stakeholders on a daily basis. This includes: 

• Global: WTTC, UNWTO, and the leading shipping 

associations 

• USA: Centers for Disease Control, the Department of 

State, the White House COVID-19 Task Force, and the 

U.S. Travel Association 

• Europe: Key EU offices, including Directorate-General 

for Health (DG SANTE) of the European Commission 

and the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC), 

and local government officials, as well as ports in North 

America, Italy, and Spain. 

• Australia and New Zealand: Federal and State officials 

and the New Zealand Cruise Association 

Our ongoing outreach and coordination with these 

stakeholders have been essential to ensure alignment of 

messaging and response strategy. 

Rapid Response 

CLIA is engaged in a multi-faceted rapid response 

activation to address the impact of COVID-19 on the 

cruise industry and to position the industry as a leader, 

as demonstrated by its swift and effective response to 

evolving public health challenges. 

These actions consist of an integrated set of strategies 

across government affairs, strategic communications, and 

maritime policy, including: 

• Activation of a stakeholder and media relations plan to 

communicate the proactive and responsible actions 

of the industry—and help maintain confidence in 

the cruise industry and limit the extent of negative, 

inaccurate reporting. 

• Help inform development of policy and protocols 

through regular communications with members’ 

professional stakeholders, medical experts, and 

ongoing monitoring of available information from 

national and international health authorities and 

actions by governments. 

• Ongoing outreach to governments to share facts and 

updates, learnings, and expand readiness plans. 

To coordinate the above efforts, CLIA established a crossfunctional 

24/7 Rapid Response Room—connecting inperson 

global and regional teams virtually via Skype, 

GoTo meeting, and teleconference. 

Additionally, CLIA retained and has been utilizing the 

services of Rear Admiral Joyce M. Johnson DO, MA USPHS 

(ret) as a subject-matter expert to provide medical insights 

and guidance to help validate our go-forward decisions 

and counsel the industry, as well as participate in key 

media interviews and government affairs outreach. 

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Here are highlights of some of the actions the Rapid 

Response Team has taken to date: 

Maritime Policy 

• Coordinated industry alignment for CLIA Global 

Public Health Policy amendments including travel 

history, contact history and health pre-screening 

measures; 

• Designed and finalized CLIA Advisory on COVID-19, 

Sample Traveler Declaration/Questionnaire and 

Sample Prevention, Surveillance and Response 

Protocol; 

• Engaged with and educated the following entities on 

CLIA’s Advisory and Sample Protocol: 

• World Health Organization (WHO) 

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

(CDC), Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) and Division 

of Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ) 

• U.S Department of State Consular Affairs and 

American Citizen Services 

• Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) 

• Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) 

• U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port of New York 

• U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet Chief Medical Officer 

• Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (F-CCA) 

• Participating in a weekly coordination call between 

IMO/WHO related to COVID-19. 

• Liaised with WHO Assistant Director-General, 

Emergency Preparedness and International Health 

Regulations, to supply data regarding ship delays 

and denials of entry and industry-level input on WHO 

Interim Guidance and Operational Considerations for 

COVID-19 on Passenger Ships; 

• Liaised with WHO and IMO to provide industry input on 

Joint IMO/WHO Statement emphasizing international 

principles of “free pratique,” avoidance of unnecessary 

delays to ships and people and avoidance of 

unnecessary interference with traffic and trade; 

• Established recurring weekly COVID-19 telecons for 

the CLIA MWG to share information and best practices 

and to review any needed amendments to CLIA Public 

Health Policy; 

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• Participated in recurring weekly WHO EPI-WIN Webinars 

for COVID-19 updates specific to travel and tourism; 

• Gained concurrence in principle from CLIA MWG 

regarding the MSC/ICS initiative with WHO to establish 

a Maritime Industry/WHO Joint Working Group related 

to both COVID-19 and other potential future health 

emergencies; and 

• Provided spokespersons to describe the industry’s 

efforts to manage the risk of virus transmission in 

multiple media events organized by Strategic Comms. 

Strategic Communications 

Media Relations (Proactive and Reactive): 

We are conducting proactive and reactive media outreach 

on an ongoing basis to update members of the press on 

cruise line member policy enhancements. 

To track the effectiveness of our strategies, we are conducting 

ongoing analysis of media coverage and sentiment, as well as 

trends regarding new cases based on publicly available data 

from the WHO. Our messaging, analysis, and response on 

behalf of the industry has helped to promote the effective and 

immediate response of the cruise industry. 

The majority of the media covering COVID-19 and its impact 

on the cruise industry have referenced CLIA’s enhanced 

policies and key message in reporting, which we’ve 

successfully been able to keep as largely neutral in tone. 

CLIA’s strategic communications team has also followed up 

with reporters who have written inaccurate statements to 

help ensure future reporting includes our messaging. 

Social Media (Global) 

• Amplifying CLIA media outreach with published, 

informational graphics, including facts on cruise line 

procedures and policies on health and safety. 

• Paid advertising campaign on individual informational 

graphics, and general overview ad campaign utilizing 

all graphics. 

• Retweeting updates from key cruise line leaders and 

associations on Twitter. 

• Resharing informational articles and videos on cruise line 

procedures and responses from verified news sources. 

• Responding reactively where/when appropriate 

and directing inquiries to our messaging and FAQ’s on 

the website. 

Stakeholder Outreach 

• Travel Agent webinar (26 February) and River 

Marketing Affiliate webinar (28 February). The 

webinars include presentations and remarks by Brian 

Salerno and Dr. Joyce Johnson—inclusive of CLIA 

messaging and facts to place the impact on cruising 

in perspective. Ongoing outreach to continue. 

We are conducting proactive and reactive media outreach on an ongoing basis to update members of the press on 

cruise line member policy enhancements. Though not an exhaustive list, here are some examples of and links to media 

coverage/outreach to date: 

• Global: 

• Quest Means Business 

• Cheddar i24NEWS Live 

• Bloomberg 

• Quest Means Business (2) 

• North America: 

• NPR 

• BBC The World 

• USA Today – 14 Feb 

• Washington Post – 31 Jan 


• USA Today – 31 Jan 


• New York Times 

• UK: 

• BBC Radio 

• Sky News UK 

• Wired UK 

• World of Cruising 

• BBC Radio Leicester 

• Europe: 

• L’Echo Touristique 

• Suddeutsche Zeitung 

• Die Welt 

• BFM Business (France) 

• Australasia: 

• CNA Singapore (25:49) 

• Sydney Morning Herald 

• Cruise Passenger 

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The health and safety of cruise 

passengers and crew, as well as the 

people in the communities we visit, is always 

the number one priority of CLIA and its member 

lines, which make up over 90% of ocean-going 

cruise capacity worldwide. 

Given the evolving nature of the ongoing 

COVID-19—and based upon prevailing guidance 

from global health authorities, including the 

World Health Organization (WHO)—CLIA 

Members have adopted enhanced screening 

protocols required for all CLIA cruise line oceangoing 

vessels to help prevent the introduction of 

the virus on board cruise ships. 

In coordination with cruise lines, medical 

experts and regulators around the world, CLIA 

and its member lines will continue to closely 

monitor developments related to COVID-19 

and will modify the CLIA Public Health Policy as 

necessary in the interest of passengers and 

crew, as well as the people in the communities 

we visit. With strict measures in place, as 

guided by national and international health 

authorities, CLIA and its member lines do not 

believe restrictions on the movement of ships 

are justified. 

Importantly, the cruise industry is one of the 

most well-equipped and experienced when 

it comes to managing and monitoring health 

conditions of passengers and crew, with 

outbreak prevention and response measures 

in place year-round. Furthermore, ships must 

be fitted with onboard medical facilities, with 

shipboard medical professionals available 

around the clock, 24/7, to provide initial medical 

care in the event of illness and help prevent 

disease transmission. 

Other Strategic Communications Actions: 

• Developed and continually update topline messages, 

public-facing FAQs and internal Q&A to assist in 

responding to external inquiries, including members of 

the travel trade and media. 

• Developed shareable social media content to 

amplify key messages via digital channels. 

• Created media briefing materials for CLIA and thirdparty 

spokespeople, including key messaging points 

and interview techniques. 

• Engaged research firm to track global sentiment 

data to inform crisis response plan and reputationrecovery 

planning process. 

• Deployed rapid-response media team dedicated 

to responding in real-time to reporter inquiries and 

disseminating updated information quickly. 

• Established media kit on www.cruising.org and 

regional CLIA websites in various languages to 

house all public-facing materials, including the 

latest CLIA statement and measures in place, 

external FAQs, Sample Traveler Questionnaire, 

infographics and links to important news articles 

and CLIA media engagements. 

• Activated research team to monitor developments 

and prepare daily “Facts and Figures” to share with 

CLIA leadership, including spokespeople, to stay 

informed. 

• Engaged external partners and allies, including 

USTA, WTTC, UNWTO and others to share messaging 

and updates and begin laying the groundwork for 

reputation-recovery planning process. 

Global Government Affairs 

North America 

• Proactively contacted key congressional committee 

members and staff to ensure open lines of 

communication with the cruise industry and to avoid 

adverse policy responses. 

• Engaged officials at the Centers for Disease Control, 

the Department of State, and the White House 

COVID-19 Task Force. 

• Requested that White House Task Force advise CLIA 

before further advisories or guidance is issued by U.S. 

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federal agencies so CLIA can provide input or, at a 

minimum, have advance notice. 

• More than half a dozen hearings held or scheduled 

in the U.S. Congress where COVID-19 has or will be 

discussed, but no focus on the cruise industry. CLIA is 

monitoring the hearings and providing updates to CLIA 

members. Our goal is to avoid particular focus on the 

cruise industry in any hearings. 

• At the request of Canadian authorities, provided 

information on CLIA’s response and pre-screening 

protocols. 

• Collaborating with FCCA to provide support on 

outreach to Caribbean governments. 

• Developed and distributed communication to CLIA 

port partners in North America on cruise industry 

response to COVID-19 and engagement with national 

and international health authorities. 

• The port communication referenced above has 

been shared with all CLIA offices and is also being 

distributed to our port partners globally. 

Europe / UK and Ireland 

Italy 

• CLIA Europe has made information available on the 

industry’s response to the Directorate-General for 

Health (DG SANTE) of the European Commission and 

the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC). 

• CLIA is in close contact with the Civitavecchia Port 

Authority (Chairman Di Majo and Secretary General 

Macii), which is developing the first health emergency 

protocol along with a task force that includes, among 

others, the Prime Minister’s Office, Customs, and the 

Red Cross. This protocol will serve as blueprint for all 

Italian Ports facing similar situations. 

• Italy has no centralized, one-size-fits-all policy 

response, but it is trying to scale up a local paradigm. 

Germany 

• CLIA has received no inquiries from German 

government officials and has not reached out to 

government authorities. 

• At this writing, CLIA is not seeing a focus by the 

government on cruise lines in the context of COVID-19, 

but as the situation remains fluid, that could change. 

Norway 

• Officials in Norway are included in CLIA Europe’s 

overall communication of the cruise industry’s actions. 

• The Norwegian government has not contacted 

CLIA for additional information, but we are in regular 

contact with them to be aware of any concerns they 

may have and to be responsive. 

France 

• Outreach has been made to key government agencies 

to inform them of CLIA’s actions. 

Spain 

• CLIA has been in contact with Jaime Luezas of 

the Transport Ministry’s ports office who has been 

appointed as the liaison on COVID-19 matters with the 

Health Ministry. 

• We are not seeing undue pressure at this time from 

the Spanish government that is directed at the cruise 

industry; however, some additional actions are being 

taken as a precaution with cruise ships that have 

visited Italy. 

Greece 

• Today, the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in 

Greece (non-cruise related). 

• CLIA has been in contact with Mrs. Panagiota 

Dionysopoulou, Head of the Tourism Department, 

Ministry of Tourism. She is aware of CLIA’s actions and 

has been asked to be kept informed.CLIA is in close 

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contact with the Tourism Minister’s advisor on cruise 

issues, Ioannis Bras. 

• Today, the Greek government issued a legislative act 

“under extraordinary circumstances,” which includes 

a provision to have a temporary restriction, in whole 

or in part, of air, sea, rail or road links to countries with 

high prevalence of COVID-19. 

• Today, the Ministry of Health announced a campaign 

called, “We are not afraid – We protect – Our shield is 

knowledge about the virus.” 

UK & Ireland 

• CLIA has been in contact with the Department for 

Transport. 

• Collaboration has been underway with the Association 

of British Travel Agents and the Chamber of Shipping 

to share information and messaging. 

• To date, most of the government interest in the UK and 

Ireland has been on the passenger screening process. 

Australia & New Zealand 

• Both AU and NZ governments are concerned, but they 

are taking a measured and balanced approach. While 

they were quick to introduce bans on people who had 

travelled from or through China, the AU chief medical 

officer has made a number of comments this week 

downplaying the risk to Australians and that there 

had been no community transmission of the virus in 

Australia. At the same time, his State counterparts 

have been warning a potential pandemic is inevitable 

and that it is prudent to plan for a situation in which 

this occurs. 

• CLIA has been proactively working with government 

to agree on protocols at Federal and State levels to 

manage a potential outbreak on a cruise ship. 

• With a number of cruise lines adding extra capacity to 

this region as ships are redeployed or rerouted from Asia, 

we have been pushing the positive message about extra 

visitation, economic impact, supporting the bush-fire 

affected regions with more ship visits etc., and this has 

been very positively received by government. 

CLIA continues to work diligently around the world to profile 

and promote the efforts of the cruise industry during this 

challenging time—and we will keep you apprised of our work 

on your behalf. 

We thank you for your support in helping the industry 

demonstrate its leadership during this very critical time. 

• In NZ, CLIA is working via the NZ Cruise Association 

who are in regular contact with Wellington. 

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In Memoriam 

Charles A. Robertson, Chairman and CEO of American Cruise Lines, 

Pearl Seas Cruises, and Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp. 

Charles A. Robertson passed away Sunday, 9 February, at 

the age of 72, following a courageous battle with cancer. 

He leaves behind his wife, Carol Ann, all three sons, a 

granddaughter and two sisters. 

Charlie was a valued member of CLIA for many years, 

always working hard to propel the cruise industry forward, 

most recently through his service on the Global Executive 

Committee (GEC) and Global Board of Directors. He was an 

exemplary innovator in ship design, including the river cruise 

market, as well as the cruise industry as a whole. His passing 

is a loss for our industry, and his legacy will continue to shape 

the experiences of countless lives, both on and offshore. 

Charlie founded ACL in 1991, having been in the maritime 

industry since the mid-1970s as a ship builder. He held a 

U.S. Coast Guard Master and Unlimited First-Class Pilots 

License, and over the years occasionally captained ACL’s 

ships himself. 

In addition to leading the growth of his cruise lines 

and shipbuilding operation, he also found time to sail 

internationally—competing and winning events including the 

Newport Bermuda Race, the Queen’s Cup, and the National 

Championship in the Atlantic Class on his series of sailboats 

that he named Cannonball. 

He was known as an innovator in small cruise ship design, 

particularly “modern” riverboats on the Mississippi. As 

chairman and CEO of ACL, Chesapeake Shipbuilding and 

Pearl Seas Cruises, a small luxury oceangoing line, he was 

one of the pioneers of river cruising in the United States and 

helped put American river and coastal cruising on the map 

for many U.S. consumers. 

“My father was a visionary and pioneer of the cruise 

industry,” said Charles B. Robertson, who has been 

appointed CEO of American Cruise Lines, succeeding his 

father. “It is an honor to lead the organization he created,” 

Robertson said. “My brothers (Carter and Clark) and I 

have followed in his footsteps and will remember him as a 

tremendous leader, mentor and father.” 

American Cruise Lines offers more than 35 river and coastal 

cruises in New England, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, the 

Mississippi River system and the Southeast. The company’s 

ships accommodate 100-200 passengers, and are built, 

crewed and registered in the USA. 

Funeral services were held on 22 February in Old Saybrook, 

Conn. In lieu of flowers, the Robertson family asks that you 

please consider a contribution to MD Anderson Children’s 

Cancer Hospital. 

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Filming Begins for the Industry’s Storytelling 

Initiative “Taking the Helm” 

On 16 February, filming began for a 

storytelling initiative CLIA has launched 

on behalf of the industry. The initiative, 

entitled “Taking the Helm,” is designed 

to share stories of the good work of the 

cruise industry in responsible tourism 

efforts and is focused largely on port 

cities and key destinations, especially 

in Europe. Our overall aim is to increase 

cruising’s share of voice and influence— 

demonstrating the industry’s commitment, 

leadership, and overall positive impact 

across five key areas of responsible 

tourism (environmental sustainability, 

destination stewardship, safety, workforce 

development, and economic impact) in order to protect and 

preserve the industry’s freedom to operate. 

creation of a variety of content that will be distributed via 

paid, earned, shared, and owned channels. 

The key element of the initiative is the production of a series 

of documentaries (primarily short form of approximately 

five minutes running time) that provide an inside look at 

the technologies and practices of the cruise industry 

across five key areas of responsible tourism (environmental 

sustainability, destination stewardship, safety, workforce 

development, and economic impact). The videos are just one 

element of the storytelling initiative, which will include the 

As part of the first of 11 scheduled documentaries, awardwinning 

filmmakers MacGillivray Freeman are capturing the 

stories and insights from cruise line executive, captains, 

engineers, and third-party experts, including shipbuilders, 

ports, and destinations. 

Look for the first documentary, “Unseen Stewardship,” to 

debut at Seatrade Global in Miami this April. 

European Shipping Week 

As part of European Shipping Week held 17 to 21 February in 

Brussels, CLIA participated in an array of events, including 

keynote speakers from the world of shipping and the 

European institutions. As a member of the Steering Group 

comprised of Europe’s main shipping organisations, CLIA 

was utilized the platform to help showcase the cruise 

industry’s commitment to environmental sustainability, which 

included hosting a seminar on green cruising. The event 

attracted approximately 40 stakeholders from the European 

institutions, cruise lines, shipping organisations and ports. 

The seminar discussion was wide-ranging and touched on 

how value creation, sustainable growth and responsible 

tourism can all go hand in hand. Seminar panelists included 

Timothèe Noel, Policy Officer at the European Commission 

DG CLIMA; Rosella Carrara, Vice President External Relations 

and Sustainability, Costa Group; Ukko Metsola, Vice President 

Government 

Relations, RCL; 

Bud Darr, Executive 

Vice President, 

Maritime Policy and 

Government Affairs, MSC Group and Henri van der Weide, 

Policy Adviser, Port of Amsterdam. 

Throughout the week, CLIA shared updates and content via 

Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as European Shipping Week 

channels. Media outreach included an interview with Tom 

Boardley of CLIA with The Economist, which was published 

on the media outlet’s World Ocean Initiative section. You can 

find the article at this link: https://www.woi.economist.com/ 

cleaning-up-the-cruise-sector 

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Destination Stewardship 

The major initiative in this category is CLIA’s Vital 

Ports pilot program launched in 2019—which 

currently includes four ports: Bergen, Palma 

de Mallorca, Santorini, and Dubrovnik. 

Palma de Mallorca 

Bergen 

We continue to engage with stakeholders in order to build 

trust and be viewed as partners in the process. 

We are particularly focused on raising awareness of our 

message and building profile in advance of the main summer 

season. Specifically, we will be participating at a conference 

on sustainable tourism in Rogaland on 5/6 May which will 

be an opportunity to showcase cruise industry messages. 

We are also lining up ship visits for key stakeholders in 

collaboration with members. 

Our aim remains to develop an agreement with Bergen – 

regarded as the gateway to the World Heritage Fords – to 

serve as a pilot for other destinations in Norway. 

Bergen 

We continue to engage with policy makers as new initiatives 

are raised. This includes a recently published “Guidelines 

for developing environmental instructions for operations in 

Norwegian World Heritage Fjords” and a 14-point plan for 

environmentally friendly ports in Norway, initiated by the Vice 

Mayor of Oslo. CLIA is also encouraging the Government to 

issue a national tourist strategy with cruise included within 

the broader context of its ambitions for tourism overall. 

visitors (albeit not for the 2020 and 2021 seasons), a Blue 

Flag agreement similar to the one that exists in Marseille, 

proposals to disperse tourists across Majorca, and 

suggested CSR proposals for consideration by cruise lines. 

These initiatives are at an early stage with cruise line executives 

meeting with local authorities in January as a first step. 

Santorini 

The Municipality has expressed its wish to discuss the cruise 

ship calls system and tourism flows in a dedicated experts’ 

group, to be established by the Port Authority. CLIA will be 

represented in this group. 

The recently published European Bank for Reconstruction 

and Development (EBRD) report on development of a 

destination management plan for Santorini had recognized 

that destination management remains a fragmented 

policy area due to the limited capacity of local industry 

stakeholders to collaborate effectively. 

The report also acknowledged that technological 

developments would help reduce the environmental impact 

of cruise ships. The report discusses ways to improve 

The new shore power plant for cruise ships in Bergen remains 

on track for completion in May. 

Palma de Mallorca: 

CLIA dialogue continues with regional authorities on a 

range of issues including a potential cap for cruise ship 

Santorini 

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cruise visitor management and acknowledges that CLIA is 

aware of these issues and taking actions in the context of 

destination stewardship and how to balance the needs of 

locals and visitors. 

Dubrovnik 

The actions that were agreed followed the signature of the 

MoU are now being implemented. 

CLIA continues to support the “Respect the City” campaign 

focused on educating guests on local culture, customs and 

desired behaviors, as well as profiling less well-known sites 

around the city. Specifically, the city is developing videos 

showing do’s and don’ts in an entertaining way for visitors, 

and an app designed to help manage visitor flows in realtime. 

We are liaising with cruise lines to trial these initiatives 

during the forthcoming season. 

Dubrovnik 

We also look forward to welcoming the Mayor of Dubrovnik at 

Seatrade Cruise Global in April in Miami when the Mayor will 

take part in a Fireside Chat with CLIA Global Chairman Adam 

Goldstein as part of the keynote session on the opening day 

of the conference. 

The CLIA-funded assessment by the Global Sustainable 

Tourism Council (GSTC) is now due to be published at the 

end of March 2020, when the Municipality will organize a 

press conference to present the findings. The assessment 

will show the destination’s current sustainability status 

according to the global criteria for sustainable destinations. 

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A Preliminary Look at 2020 – Save These Dates 

• 5-6 March: CLIA Executive Partner Summit, London 

Location: Institution of Civil Engineers, One Great 

George Street, Westminster, London, SW1P 3AA, 

United Kingdom 

• 10-12 March: CLIA UK River Cruise Roadshow 

Location: March 10 – Manchester; 

March 11 – Newcastle; March 12 – Birmingham 

• 20-23 April: Seatrade Global, Miami 

Location: Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 

Convention Center Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139 USA 

• 20 April: CLIA Global Board of Directors Meeting, Miami 

Location: TBD 

• 12-18 May: CLIA Cruise360 - A Panoramic View of Cruising 

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre 

Please check out the CLIA online calendar link for other key 

dates/events: https://cruising.org/global-calendar 

Team Updates 

Please welcome the following new members of the CLIA team: 

Reed Linsk – Director of Government Affairs, North America 

Reed Linsk has joined CLIA as the Director of Government 

Affairs for North America, responsible for specific legislative 

policy areas at the state and federal levels, ensuring 

that the day-to-day monitoring, management, and 

advocacy on those issues is proactive and successfully 

advances CLIA member priorities. Reed has more than 

10 years of experience on Capitol Hill working for two 

Members in the House of Representatives. Most recently, 

he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative 

Director for Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA-50), 

where he developed and oversaw the legislative agenda 

and managed strategic outreach planning. Reed also 

worked for the Chairman of the House Rules Committee 

prior to Congressman Hunter. Reed brings experience 

on transportation and maritime legislative issues. He 

worked with the House Transportation and Infrastructure 

Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, 

assisting efforts to achieve the successful passage of two 

consecutive Coast Guard Reauthorization Acts during the 

114th and 115th Congresses. 

Belinda Bourke – Membership Officer, Australasia 

Belinda recently joined CLIA Australasia as Membership 

Officer. With an extensive background in membership 

organizations, Belinda will be responsible for membership 

acquisition, retention and day-to-day membership 

administration as well as supporting CLIA’s membership 

engagement. 

13

Kelly Craighead - CLIA February-March 2020 Newsletter

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