Are cruises in the Arctic challenging sustainability and directly contributing to climate change and the continuing rise in sea levels and in the Arctic?
Author: Rebecca Doran
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Abstract – This paper discusses the conflicts between the host communities and the audience in relation to cruise tourism within the Arctic, identifying positives and negatives for both the host communities and the audience. Throughout the paper, socio-economic issues are established and sustainability plans are challenged.
Keywords : Cruise tourism, Arctic tourism, socio-economic impacts, sustainability
The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) (2010) describes cruise tourism as a ‘relatively modern activity’. Docksai (2010) further discussed in relation to the increased interest within Arctic cruise tourism: host destinations, tourists and people must be aware of the increased rise in emissions from the ships including carbon dioxide and black carbon, where they can poison animal life and more crucially for the host destination, taint the snow and ice, resulting in reducing their ability to mitigate global warming by reflecting sunlight away from the earth. Due to the on-going melting of sea ice in the Arctic, cruise tourism has boosted, with an increase of 9.5% from 2009-2013 (Dawson et al., 2013).
Although the inevitable continuation of decreased land mass within the Arctic Circle; the negatives that have been created due to climate change may, in some ways, have positive effects on the local communities. Many researchers discuss that tourism is the main source of income for the Arctic, and the main form of economic activity and development in the Arctic (Dawson et al., 2011) (Kajan, 2012) (Snyder, 2009). Snyder & Stonehouse (2007:99) further believe that the cruise industry has enhanced the economy with the development of visitor and heritage centres – creating jobs for the residents.
Whist residents are benefiting from climate change, the decrease in land in the Arctic has allowed more tourists to discover and explore the Arctic, due to the ice melting thus more cruises are being made available. MINTEL (2014) reported that the Arctic is more developed than the Antarctic, due to the melting of sea ice; more passages are being made available for cruise ships to explore. Ruggia (2015) identified that Arctic is now a significantly popular destination than it was a few decades ago, with the rise in adventure travel across the world. Moreover, wilderness tourists can be taken into consideration, due to the wildlife that resides there. It is clear that with the recognised and increased interest and access regarding the visitation and exploration within the Arctic through new passages created for the cruise industry, tourists who visit want to be able to say in the future that they had visited one of the most remote places on earth, before it disappears as a result of climate change.
With the opening of new passages being created, cruise-ship companies are able to explore more than ever before. The Crystal Serenity will be the first luxury ship to sail through the North-West Passage in the Arctic; Crystal Cruises (2015) states that the ship will be using a low-sulphur fuel which is clean burning and acts within the existing environmental regulations set by the Arctic council. As well as the safe disposal of garbage in certain collection facilities situated outside the Arctic. Dismissing any claims of disrespecting the environment. The Hurtigruten brand has a collective amount of ships – with the vast majority specialising in cruising around the Arctic. The brand elaborate and promote ‘geo-tourism’, meaning the “preserving a destination's geographic character—the entire combination of natural and human attributes that make one place distinct from another†(Cook, Drew & Stueve, 2002 cited in Maher, 2007). Furthermore, Hurtigruten (2015) elaborated by considering destinations should remain unspoiled, and they discuss that their mission supports and depends on viable sustainable destinations.
Although there are benefits to both the residents and the visitors of the Arctic, there are many conflicts involved regarding the effect climate change is having on the environment. Many researchers identify many arctic cruise tourism risks (Jorgensen, 2014) (Kajan, 2012) (Snyder, 2009) including: oil spill, endangering wildlife, vegetation, cultural remains, signs and markings, transport of alien species, garbage, land development, high dependency on natural resources and pollution. Even though it is impossible to ignore these factors, the beneficial environmental impacts it has on the environment, cease to conquer the negative.
It is therefore possible to conclude that, even though climate change is having a large impact upon the Arctic, there remains a lack of solid evidence to suggest that cruise-ships are the main focal point as to why the Arctic is deteriorating and disappearing at such a rapid pace. With cruise-ship brands such as the Hurtigruten stating in their sustainability plans that their sole aim “supports and depends on viable sustainable destinationsâ€, it is impossible to determine whether or not cruise ships are complimenting climate change and the rise in sea ice levels. However, for residents and tourists – can climate change be seen as a concern within the Arctic? There are for residents such as: a small tourism infrastructure (Snyder & Stonehouse, 2007:99) and the benefits for tourists: who yearn to see and experience the beauty of the world’s most remote and unspoilt destinations, are now being made more available (Ruggia, 2015). The opening of new passages into the Arctic would only be necessary if climate change occurred. Thus it can therefore finally be argued that the Arctic’s economy will only would have grown due to climate change and the melting of sea ice.
References:
Crystal Cruises (2015) Crystal Cruises Northwest Passage 2016 Frequently Asked Questions. [online] [Accessed on 18th April 2015] Available from: http://www.crystalcruises.com/ContentPage.aspx?ID=191
Kajan, E. (2013) An integrated methodological framework: engaging local communities in Arctic tourism development and community-based adaptation. Current Issues in Tourism. [online] pp286-301 [Accessed on 23rd April 2015] Available from: http://wk6kg9sd8m.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=An+integrated+methodological+framework%3A+Engaging+local+communities+in+Arctic+tourism+development+and+community-based+adaptation&rft.jtitle=Current+Issues+in+Tourism&rft.au=Kaj%C3%A1n%2C+Eva&rft.date=2013&rft.issn=1368-3500&rft.volume=16&rft.issue=3&rft.spage=286&rft.epage=301&rft_id=info:doi/10.1080%2F13683500.2012.685704&rft.externalDBID=n%2Fa&rft.externalDocID=368798678¶mdict=en-UK
WTO (2010) Cruise Tourism: Current Situation and Trends. World Travel Organisation. [online] [Accessed on 2nd April 2015] Available from: http://pub.unwto.org/WebRoot/Store/Shops/Infoshop/4860/F69B/DDF8/6297/2C04/C0A8/0164/E2F3/110111_cruise_tourism_excerpt.pdf
Keywords : Cruise tourism, Arctic tourism, socio-economic impacts, sustainability
The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) (2010) describes cruise tourism as a ‘relatively modern activity’. Docksai (2010) further discussed in relation to the increased interest within Arctic cruise tourism: host destinations, tourists and people must be aware of the increased rise in emissions from the ships including carbon dioxide and black carbon, where they can poison animal life and more crucially for the host destination, taint the snow and ice, resulting in reducing their ability to mitigate global warming by reflecting sunlight away from the earth. Due to the on-going melting of sea ice in the Arctic, cruise tourism has boosted, with an increase of 9.5% from 2009-2013 (Dawson et al., 2013).
Although the inevitable continuation of decreased land mass within the Arctic Circle; the negatives that have been created due to climate change may, in some ways, have positive effects on the local communities. Many researchers discuss that tourism is the main source of income for the Arctic, and the main form of economic activity and development in the Arctic (Dawson et al., 2011) (Kajan, 2012) (Snyder, 2009). Snyder & Stonehouse (2007:99) further believe that the cruise industry has enhanced the economy with the development of visitor and heritage centres – creating jobs for the residents.
Whist residents are benefiting from climate change, the decrease in land in the Arctic has allowed more tourists to discover and explore the Arctic, due to the ice melting thus more cruises are being made available. MINTEL (2014) reported that the Arctic is more developed than the Antarctic, due to the melting of sea ice; more passages are being made available for cruise ships to explore. Ruggia (2015) identified that Arctic is now a significantly popular destination than it was a few decades ago, with the rise in adventure travel across the world. Moreover, wilderness tourists can be taken into consideration, due to the wildlife that resides there. It is clear that with the recognised and increased interest and access regarding the visitation and exploration within the Arctic through new passages created for the cruise industry, tourists who visit want to be able to say in the future that they had visited one of the most remote places on earth, before it disappears as a result of climate change.
With the opening of new passages being created, cruise-ship companies are able to explore more than ever before. The Crystal Serenity will be the first luxury ship to sail through the North-West Passage in the Arctic; Crystal Cruises (2015) states that the ship will be using a low-sulphur fuel which is clean burning and acts within the existing environmental regulations set by the Arctic council. As well as the safe disposal of garbage in certain collection facilities situated outside the Arctic. Dismissing any claims of disrespecting the environment. The Hurtigruten brand has a collective amount of ships – with the vast majority specialising in cruising around the Arctic. The brand elaborate and promote ‘geo-tourism’, meaning the “preserving a destination's geographic character—the entire combination of natural and human attributes that make one place distinct from another†(Cook, Drew & Stueve, 2002 cited in Maher, 2007). Furthermore, Hurtigruten (2015) elaborated by considering destinations should remain unspoiled, and they discuss that their mission supports and depends on viable sustainable destinations.
Although there are benefits to both the residents and the visitors of the Arctic, there are many conflicts involved regarding the effect climate change is having on the environment. Many researchers identify many arctic cruise tourism risks (Jorgensen, 2014) (Kajan, 2012) (Snyder, 2009) including: oil spill, endangering wildlife, vegetation, cultural remains, signs and markings, transport of alien species, garbage, land development, high dependency on natural resources and pollution. Even though it is impossible to ignore these factors, the beneficial environmental impacts it has on the environment, cease to conquer the negative.
It is therefore possible to conclude that, even though climate change is having a large impact upon the Arctic, there remains a lack of solid evidence to suggest that cruise-ships are the main focal point as to why the Arctic is deteriorating and disappearing at such a rapid pace. With cruise-ship brands such as the Hurtigruten stating in their sustainability plans that their sole aim “supports and depends on viable sustainable destinationsâ€, it is impossible to determine whether or not cruise ships are complimenting climate change and the rise in sea ice levels. However, for residents and tourists – can climate change be seen as a concern within the Arctic? There are for residents such as: a small tourism infrastructure (Snyder & Stonehouse, 2007:99) and the benefits for tourists: who yearn to see and experience the beauty of the world’s most remote and unspoilt destinations, are now being made more available (Ruggia, 2015). The opening of new passages into the Arctic would only be necessary if climate change occurred. Thus it can therefore finally be argued that the Arctic’s economy will only would have grown due to climate change and the melting of sea ice.
References:
Crystal Cruises (2015) Crystal Cruises Northwest Passage 2016 Frequently Asked Questions. [online] [Accessed on 18th April 2015] Available from: http://www.crystalcruises.com/ContentPage.aspx?ID=191
Kajan, E. (2013) An integrated methodological framework: engaging local communities in Arctic tourism development and community-based adaptation. Current Issues in Tourism. [online] pp286-301 [Accessed on 23rd April 2015] Available from: http://wk6kg9sd8m.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=An+integrated+methodological+framework%3A+Engaging+local+communities+in+Arctic+tourism+development+and+community-based+adaptation&rft.jtitle=Current+Issues+in+Tourism&rft.au=Kaj%C3%A1n%2C+Eva&rft.date=2013&rft.issn=1368-3500&rft.volume=16&rft.issue=3&rft.spage=286&rft.epage=301&rft_id=info:doi/10.1080%2F13683500.2012.685704&rft.externalDBID=n%2Fa&rft.externalDocID=368798678¶mdict=en-UK
WTO (2010) Cruise Tourism: Current Situation and Trends. World Travel Organisation. [online] [Accessed on 2nd April 2015] Available from: http://pub.unwto.org/WebRoot/Store/Shops/Infoshop/4860/F69B/DDF8/6297/2C04/C0A8/0164/E2F3/110111_cruise_tourism_excerpt.pdf