FORT LAUDERDALE -- Travel advisors must prepare to be much
more knowledgeable about the cruise industry's environmental record and be able
to explain and defend that record to a new generation of clients, said Adam
Goldstein, vice chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and CLIA's global
chairman.
Goldstein sounded an alarm in a keynote address to hundreds
of agents attending CLIA's annual Cruise360 conference here.
The hunger to see the world, as more people become middle
class, is growing rapidly, Goldstein said. "Which is absolutely wonderful
for those of us who are in the business, and a tremendous source of concern
around the world for how that business and that interest and that hunger will
be handled."
Adam Goldstein addressing attendees at CLIA's Cruise360. Photo Credit: Tom Stieghorst
He said that at least some travel advisors in North America
have already started to see concerns expressed by younger clients.
"We see it in Europe at every age level. It doesn't
even matter. Europe at this point is sort of ground zero of environmental
sensitivity to all kinds of tourism, and other things besides tourism,"
Goldstein said. "It's going to become more relevant to you and your
colleagues on a day-to-day basis as we go forward."
Goldstein offered a sports analogy, comparing current U.S.
travel agency customer relations to a team playing a game on its home field. "You
have not really felt what's coming our way, coming to the United States,"
he said.
"There's a predisposition to have faith in us. There's
an optimism about our behavior," Goldstein said. That becomes more neutral
when you're talking to a U.S. audience of non-cruisers, he said.
"When we come to Europe, we're playing on somebody else's
field," Goldstein warned. "There is just extraordinary sensitivity
throughout the continent of Europe to how all industries, all companies, and
even governments are behaving on sustainability. It is the first question that
comes up anywhere I go there.
"I don't see that changing, other than to become even
more intense. I don't know that the U.S. will ever be like that, but I'm very
confident to say it will become more like that and that's something I think we
need to prepare for."
Goldstein said the industry has a raft of environmental
initiatives, programs and partnerships to counter challenges to its
sustainability record, everything from steps to coordinate ship arrivals in
crowded destinations to new Tier 3 nitrogen oxide standards to reduce harmful
air pollution.
He said agents should be ready to do some homework to be
prepared with answers.
"We want to trust you to be able to talk at a certain
level about these [things], and, of course, like you would with any other
challenge with your suppliers, to come to us if you need to ask questions about
something you've been asked that you weren't sure what was the answer."