Independent charity The Travel Foundation has recently developed a guide to river cruise operators on how to run their itineraries with as little negative environmental impact as possible.
The aim of the Environmental Sustainability for River Cruising guide is to help the river cruise industry work towards a sustainable future by suggesting ways in which they can reduce waste generation and reduce the levels of water and energy use on-board.
In order to compile the guide, the Travel Foundation conducted audits on 12 different river cruise ships operating Nile, Danube, Rhine and Rhone itineraries, all of which were operated by luxury line Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection. The findings from the audits were then used to compile the guide, which the charity claims will reduce the negative impact on the environment by river cruise tourism throughout the world.
Commenting on his company’s role in the audit, President of Uniworld, Guy Young, said: “With the growth of the river cruise sector, it is essential that we all do our part to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for our waterways, which is why we are so proud to be part of such an important first-of-its-kind project in the river cruise sector. All river cruise companies should seek to better understand and adopt environmental performance measures in an effort to prevent serious environmental impact in the destinations where we travel and operate.”
Acting Chief Executive of the Travel Foundation, Salli Feldon, commented: “It’s important that the river cruising sector addresses the environmental impact of its day-to-day operation, so that it can grow sustainably. We’ve broken the guide down into small manageable chunks so that companies can take a step-by-step approach to minimising the negative effect they may be having on the environment.”
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises offers river voyages throughout Europe, Russia, Egypt, China, Vietnam and Cambodia and a enjoys an effective relationship with its sister company The Red Carnation Hotel Collection, which offers luxury boutique hotel experiences to customers around the world.
By Simon Brotherton
Google
