ROYAL CARIBBEAN BRANDS OFFER SUSTAINABLE TOURS
Sustainable Tours Increase Across Royal Caribbean Brands
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd has announced 1,400 sustainable tours for the Caribbean, Mediterranean and beyond.
These special tours are available across all Royal Caribbean brands, and are offered by certified sustainable tour operators. Experiences include kayaking along Majorca’s west coast, underground Mayan River Cenote in Cozumel and grape harvesting at Pizzorno Winery in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Commitment to Sustainability
The initiative began as part of the company’s 2020 World Wildlife Fund (WWF) target. Royal Caribbean’s goal was to offer guests 1,000 tours, provided by operators certified to the UN-created Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) standard.
Educating Tour Operators
Engaging with its global independent tour operators was a key part of the programme.
RCL’s Global Tour Operations team and GSTC conducted educational sessions for its tour operators. They educated on the company’s commitment, the importance of certification and sustainable operations, and the process to become GSTC certified.
GSTC Criteria consists of four main themes;
- effective sustainability planning
- maximising social and economic benefits for the local community
- enhancing cultural heritage
- reducing negative impacts on the environment.
Unprecedented Scale and Scope
“The scale and scope of Royal Caribbean Cruises’ commitment to sustainable shore excursions and accomplishments to date, are unprecedented,” says Jim Sano, VP for Conservation Travel, WWF.
“GSTC commends Royal Caribbean for taking these important steps, encouraging tour operators to adopt–and seek GSTC accredited certification for sustainable tourism practices,” stated Randy Durband, GSTC CEO. “Royal Caribbean’s efforts to boost the global supply of certified sustainable shore excursions is a watershed moment for the cruise industry. Having almost 1,400 tours in Royal Caribbean’s portfolio is an important milestone, and we congratulate them for their ongoing efforts.”
In 2016, RCL announced a partnership with WWF to take its sustainability performance to the next level. This partnership set ambitious sustainability targets in three key areas:
- emissions reduction
- sustainable food supply
- destination stewardship
This takes the company beyond its self-contained operations, with the support of sustainable travel and livelihoods at RCL destinations.
Recommended Reading: Cruise People – Interview with Marc Walker – Royal Caribbean Cruise Director
