The growth of cruise holidays is placing increased demand on operators to manage the environmental and social impact on remote island communities.
The boom in popularity of cruise holidays to the Pacific Islands has seen a vast increase in the number of passengers arriving at remote island communities. With growth in tourism comes greater responsibility for cruise companies, like Carnival Australia, to achieve sustainable tourism outcomes that can create economic benefits and employment for developing countries while managing the impact on the local culture, communities and natural environments that are the cornerstone of the industry’s success.
Almost 80 years since the first P&O mail steamer, Strathaird, left Sydney on a five-day cruise to Norfolk Island in 1932, Pacific Island communities are at the heart of one of the world’s fastest growing cruise markets. The Australian cruise industry has grown by nearly 20% per annum over the past six years with predicted growth to reach one million passengers a year by 2020.
Carnival Australia operates seven cruise ships comprised of four in the P&O Cruises Australia fleet and two locally based Princess Cruises ships, with a third Princess vessel to arrive in September 2011. P&O Cruises’ ships regularly call at destinations in New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji. In 2010, P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises ships combined carried 210,000 passengers to the Pacific Islands and, by 2013 this number is expected to increase to 370,000 passengers.
With the prospect of more ships landing vastly more tourists on their shores, Pacific Island governments and communities could justifiably ask: ‘What is in it for us?’ The only satisfactory answer is for cruise companies to also deliver economic benefits and jobs. With up to 2,000 passengers arriving aboard each ship, Carnival has acknowledged the additional responsibilities of managing the potential environmental and social impact of increasing demand on remote island communities.
With a commitment to protecting the economic interests and unspoilt environments of the Pacific Islands, Carnival Australia is working with governments and communities to help develop viable tourism-related businesses that can generate jobs.
P&O Cruises Australia has developed destination management plans for key remote ports, identifying the current and potential environmental impact of cruise ship visits, recommending mitigation measures, determining infrastructure to support cruise operations and offering guidance for potential business opportunities. It is also acting on a commitment to recruit up to 10% of onboard staff from Vanuatu, with 160 staff currently employed having initially been selected by a local agent prior to pre-employment training.
In partnerships with organizations such as the Australian Government’s AusAID and Australian Business Volunteers, Carnival Australia also directly funds projects. It contributed half of the US$ 1.8 million for AusAID’s Enterprise Challenge Funding (ECF) programme, which has funded upgrades to landing jetties, new amenity blocks and helped communities establish small businesses. Carnival Australia’s contribution overall is considerably more than the US$ 860,000 devoted to the ECF programme through support in funding logo design, merchandise and tour product development.
At Mystery Island in Vanuatu, the partnership between Carnival Australia and ECF has seen the development of local shore tours. In addition to bringing revenue to the nearby Aneityum community and providing real cultural experiences and engagement for cruise passengers, Carnival Australia believes the Mystery Island business model could become the template for opportunities elsewhere. Researchers at Monash University in Australia hope to test the model’s potential for adoption by other communities in the Pacific Islands.