WE*GENERATE Podcast #5 – Gyða Guðmundsdóttir, Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO)
Community guidelines are essential for the cruise industry
How can the cruise industry work at the intersection between community engagement and environmental preservation? How can communities create visitor guidelines to communicate what they want from the cruise industry? In the second instalment of WE*GENERATE: THE BEST WE CAN, we speak with Gyða Guðmundsdóttir, Head of Community Engagement at the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO). We explore how community guidelines can be a powerful tool for shaping a cruise industry that aligns more with local interests whilst mitigating some of the societal and environmental impacts.
Takeaways
- AECO focuses on sustainable and responsible expedition cruise tourism in the Arctic. Through economic development, competence training, and citizen science projects, it aims to enhance local employment and leadership in the expedition cruise industry.
- Community-specific guidelines are a valuable tool for local communities to communicate their wishes directly to the cruise industry and visitors.
- The balance between promoting tourism and conservation efforts in the Arctic is a complex issue. Collaboration with Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) is crucial for coordinating efforts and ensuring that cruise tourism benefits local communities and respects the natural environment.
The WE*GENERATE podcast series interviews destinations across Europe to find out what it really means to generate together, regenerative tourism futures. WE*GENERATE invites you into candid conversations to learn about the pursuits of really dedicated people: from CityDNA members and urbanists to community leaders, creatives from arts and culture, and volunteers. Collective action and collaboration are essential in addressing the complex challenges of our time, and Welcoming Wegeneration* is a manifest of collective responsibility.
If you have any comments of questions about the podcast, please contact host Sarah Frosh.
*Read more here about the Welcoming Wegeneration strategy