Association collaboration focuses on community engagement

The Strategic Alliance of European Cruise Ports Associations came together for the panel session - European port & destination associations: community engagement in port cities - at which they presented the main findings of a joint survey of more than 140 member ports. This seeks to better understand the challenges posed by increasing tourism pressures on infrastructure, the environment and local communities across Europe.

The objective was to gather insights from member ports and destinations, identify best practices, and advocate for policies that support both the tourism sector and community well-being.

Simone Maraschi, chair Cruise Europe, said: "The most striking result is that cruise tourism is less than 10 percent of total tourism in a destination but still we see a lot of finger pointing acting negatively. I think this survey is very significant to put a context behind the volumes. Also that the majority of our members actively engage with numbers and cruiselines to enhance, adapt and bring more value for cruise guests."

Whilst Kay Greenway, director Cruise Britain, said: "It is about keeping a sense of perspective. About 97 percent of the communities within 140 port cities are feeling positive about cruise. It is easy to use cruise as a poster child. For the first time we have some data on that."

Speaking as director of Cruise Baltic, Klaus Bondam added: "I think it is important that the topic of cruise tourism is part of the tourism debate. In Copenhagen cruise is less than 10 percent but it still takes up a lot of space." He pointed out that cruise tourists can be controlled much more easily than those on land: "Cruise is able to separate and disperse tourism, for example to smaller ports."

Monica Berstad, managing director Cruise Norway, added: "These facts will help us to show that cruise is not a threat, it is an opportunity. The message needs to go out that cruise brings value to the community".

Whilst Theodora Riga, president MedCruise, stressed that: "Community engagement is the most important thing. Socio economic studies are really, really important." To this end, MedCruise announced that during 2026 all member ports will collect data in this respect.

Maraschi called for a shift in the dialogue away from responding to negative complaints to preparing a destination prior to ships arriving for what cruise can bring. He stated the example of Cruise Gate Hamburg which began talking to the local community and politicians 20 years ahead of the arrival of HafenCity. "We have always had a focus on sharing and telling the community what we are doing." In this way, it has received great support on the recent opening.

Greenway added that bringing people into the process, from politicians to residents, about what cruise can do and what it can bring to communities is key. In terms of cruiselines, she cited an example of politicians being mesmerised by waste management and recycling whilst on a ship visit, in contrast to what is done on land. In terms of destinations, she said: "Where the port and destination work together is the best. Not everyone does this but we think they should."

Bondam cited an example of the ReThinker volunteers in Aarhus, urging others to do the same. Driven by VisitAarhus, this diverse, dedicated group welcome all visitors to the city, providing not only a genuine welcome but a social benefit to the volunteers themselves.

With the final results due to be presented in the coming weeks, this pan-european approach can be "a voice for good", said Greenway. Sharing best practices, from onshore power supply to security, across different cultures can only be cohesive for an industry that is intent on securing its place favourably on the tourism stage.