Sustainable tourism players were taken aback by last week’s announcement that Carnival’s new “social impact” cruise line will cease sailings next year. But is Fathom’s failure really bad news for the sector?
Fathom made headlines earlier this year with the launch of the first voyages from Miami to Cuba in May, following on from its April launch to the Dominican Republic. But last week, it emerged that the brand’s only vessel, the 704-passenger Adonia, would be returned to its former operators P&O Cruises in the summer of 2017.
It comes after some positive signs within the world of sustainable cruise that seemed to suggest the sector was gathering momentum.
So why the failure?
Although the Cuba itineraries were a hit, those to the Dominican Republic failed to make the same impression, according to USA Today.
Nonetheless, the decision to abandon ship so quickly may have come as a surprise.
However, not so for director of the Australia & International Tourism Research Unit Dr Joseph Cheer. While he commended Carnival Corporation’s “admirable attempt” to exercise corporate social responsibility, he described it as “clumsy”.
“This was not purpose before profit – it was always about profit and an attempt to mitigate criticisms against the sector and to take advantage of.consumer sentiment towards wanting to do good,” he told KarryOn.
“It really looks like a classic case of ‘green washing’ for commercial gain.”
So what does Fathom’s failure mean for the future of sustainable cruising and indeed for the future of sustainable tourism as a whole?
It’s an area that the Intrepid Group recently entered with the launch of Peregrine Adventures’ new range of small ship cruising and managing director James Thornton is unfazed by this hiccup.
“The amount of interest it generated and the recent protests in Venice indicate that we’re going to see more demand for sustainable cruise product from travellers as the cruise sector continues to grow at a rapid pace,” he told KarryOn.
And far from feeling disheartened about the future of the sector, Intrepid remains positive.
“If anything, the news only inspires us to work harder to spread the word that small-ship cruising is a real alternative,” Thornton continued. “Not only for those customers who would normally never consider going on a cruise, but also for past cruise customers who now have the confidence to travel in a way that has less emphasis on on-board restaurants and shops, and more on time exploring off the beaten track towns and having genuine local interactions.”
Indeed, sustainable tourism has become a pillar of the Intrepid business.
“Sustainable tourism has to be more than a trend or a headline,” he said.
“It’s something that our industry has to continuously improve on – the future of all our businesses depends on it.”
Meanwhile, Carnival Corporation spokesman Roger Frizzell told USA Today that Fathom will become an entity operating social impact-focused shore tours in the Dominican Republic for the passengers of other Carnival cruise brands, with expansion into other destinations also a possibility.
