We are excited to announce the launch of CLIA UK & Ireland under the unified global CLIA structure, as the Association of Cruise Experts and the Passenger Shipping Association have come together to form a new organization as part of our globalization efforts. Here to tell us about CLIA UK & Ireland is its Director, Andy Harmer.
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The cruise industry is committed to actively engaging in the communities we serve by supporting tangible improvements through partnerships and programs in the ports and communities where we operate around the world. We recognize our unique position and the impact we have as a global industry and we are committed to contributing and giving back through a wide variety of initiatives.
Randall Fiebrandt, Director, Environmental Operations, has been with Norwegian Cruise Line since 2003, and is part of the team responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the company’s world-class environmental program. He is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and spent 22 years in operational and marine safety and environmental positions with the U.S. Coast Guard. Randy also earned a Master’s degree in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering from MIT.
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As I begin my term as chair of CLIA’s Marketing Committee, I was pleased to join Christine at CLIA’s State of the Industry press conference in New York on January 30, which provided us with the opportunity to share the latest news, trends and data that reflect the continued growth and progress of our industry.
Those of us in the cruise industry recognize the tremendous contributions cruising makes worldwide to local economies and community organizations and the many measures we have put in place to safeguard the environments in which we operate. Each day, our industry is having a positive impact across the globe in these areas – and many more. However, for the more than 20 million passengers that take cruise vacations each year and many other cruise industry stakeholders, these may not be well-known facts.
CLIA, on behalf of the global cruise industry, today honors the one-year anniversary of the Concordia tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims, their families, and all those affected by this tragedy.
As we wind down 2012, it’s been an extremely busy time for our industry. I last blogged as we wrapped up CLIA’s annual Leadership Forum, during which CLIA’s Board of Directors approved the recommendation that our industry form a new unified association model. I then traveled to Europe, where we sought support from the other cruise associations in advance of our recent worldwide announcement.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned about advocacy is that you can’t wait until there’s a problem to get involved. You have to tell your story and engage your constituents in advance of an issue. I learned this the hard way in my former position in the Corporate Meetings & Events industry when the effects of AIG hit our business hard and we scrambled to organize ourselves to educate policymakers about our industry.
Cruising is one of the best vacation values you can get for the money, and October’s National Cruise Vacation Month put a spotlight on that by offering some of the best deals available all year from CLIA members and travel agents.