On Land
Ben Bouldin Appointed New CLIA Chair for UK & Ireland (UK)
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LIA UK & Ireland has appointed Ben Bouldin, Royal Caribbean Cruises’ vice president EMEA, as its new chair. Bouldin will take over the role from Tony Roberts, Princess Cruises’ vice president UK and Europe, who has been in the post for three years.
Bouldin has been appointed on a twoyear basis and will start later this month. He will work alongside the CLIA team to support its membership of almost 4,000 travel agencies and over 50 cruise lines as cruising resumes in the UK and beyond. Andy Harmer, CLIA’s UK and Ireland managing director, said, “We are delighted to announce that Ben will take on the position of chair. His expertise and influence will ensure the cruise industry continues to lead the way as opportunities to travel further open up. “We want to thank Tony for his incredible hard work and strategic direction during the past three years, which
has helped steer CLIA and the wider industry through the most challenging period in its history.” Ben Bouldin said, “I’m honored to step into my new role as CLIA chairman for UK and Ireland and look forward to continuing Tony’s excellent leadership during his time on the CLIA Executive Committee. Over the last year, the industry has experienced unprecedented challenges, but by innovating and adapting, we have shown how strong we are. It is now more important than ever that we continue to drive the industry forward as we begin cruising again in the UK and globally.”
Fit for 55
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he “Fit for 55” package is a significant step towards the acceleration of the EU’s decarbonization efforts. The cruise industry supports the long-term objectives of the EU Green Deal and is committed to pursuing net carbon neutral cruising in Europe by 2050. Furthermore, by driving innovation through shipbuilding in Europe, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) believes the cruise industry has a decisive role to play as an enabler of European green growth, as enshrined in the EU Green Deal and EU Recovery Plans. A balanced and proportional regulatory framework for all sectors of the economy can pave the way to achieve the EU goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. It is also essential to address the complexities of such a substantial package of regulations by adopting a holistic impact assessment, because different elements of Fit For 55 will all impact each other. The cruise industry operates mobile assets globally, with ships sailing between
countries and continents, with flexible itineraries and ships often transiting through European waters for limited periods at a time. Special attention should be given to assessing impacts of Fit For 55 on remote European coastal regions and islands that depend heavily on passenger shipping. A phased-in approach and a realistic implementation timeline will be essential to ensure the European maritime cluster has a chance to recover from the negative economic impact of COVID-19 crisis on this sector. CLIA Europe is committed to contributing to the policy discussion and making its expertise and experience available, partnering with all actors in the EU Institutions and member states to accelerate the development of alternative marine fuels that will be necessary for achieving the EU’s and CLIA’s decarbonization ambitions. The introduction of carbon pricing will not alone solve the underlying core challenge, however, which is the lack of alternative marine fuels. Further political
and regulatory attention will be needed to accelerate the development of alternative fuels and making them available for bunkering in European ports. The cruise industry is a European success story, as European shipyards maintain global competitiveness in cruise shipbuilding. This reality offers a significant opportunity to generate green growth and job creation in the European waterborne sector. SECOND QUARTER 2021 | TRAVEL & CRUISE 25
