Cruises: dream trip or environmental disaster for port cities?

Cruises: dream trip or environmental disaster for port cities?

Venedig, Italien - cruises are very popular worldwide. Every year, over 30 million travelers choose this form of vacation. But despite its popularity, the cruise industry brings with it considerable ecological challenges. Web.de reports that cruise ships per passenger kilometer emit more CO2 than airplanes and up to four times as much as rails. This high CO2 balance, which also includes other greenhouse gases in CO2 equivalents, is an increasing problem for the environment.

A central factor for the high environmental impact is the energy requirements of the ships. You need large amounts of energy for pools, air conditioning systems and entertainment. As a result, you often use heavy oil that releases the large amount of sulfur oxides and fine dust, and is therefore even more environmentally harmful than diesel in car or truck. In many ports, however, there is often no way to switch to the country current, which means that the engines continue to run in the port and cause additional damage.

The episodes for oceans and coastal regions

The effects on the oceans are serious. Cruise ships produce hundreds of thousands of liters of wastewater daily, of which part is guided into the sea. In addition, around 25 percent of the fixed waste in global maritime traffic from cruise ships. These stresses endanger not only the marine environment, but also the quality of life in port cities such as Venice, Marseille and Hamburg, which have to suffer from increasing air pollution.

in port cities like Dubrovnik and Santorinin, the infrastructure is overloaded, which often leads to resentment among the population. According to Planet Knowledge , cruise tourists spend three times less money than conventional hotel holidaymakers, which the local economy supports little. Studies also show that 20-40 percent of cruise tourists do not go ashore during their stay.

environmental protection and future prospects

The conversion to low -emission fuels and the adaptation to the power supply are too slow, the NABU criticizes. Some providers are working on clean technologies, but experts doubt that cruises can ever become climate -friendly. An example of the urge for sustainable tourism is the anchor ban for large cruise ships in Venice since 2021 and the plans in Amsterdam to ban cruise ships from the city center from 2035.

The economic and social effects of cruise tourism should also not be underestimated. Many of the more than 400 active cruise ships worldwide, which offer space for around 4,000 passengers, are often difficult for the people who live and work on board. Long working hours and low salaries are often reality. After about 20 years old ships are often sold to developing countries, where they are broken down in a way that leads to further environmental and health problems.

Overall, it can be seen that the cruise industry faces major challenges. In order to reduce environmental pollution, sustainable alternatives, such as train trips or longer stays with less ecological footprint, are urgently needed. The future of cruise shipping depends on whether and how quickly these changes can be implemented.