Cruise industry study misses the mark

NEW research by the United Kingdom's Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) has painted a damning picture of the cruise industry, charging that it is ignoring its responsibility to the environment and to societies in the ports of call.

Unsurprisingly, the conclusions of the study have provoked a strong response from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which has described it as "deeply disappointing" and "seriously flawed".

The study - published last month in the journal Tourism Management - analysed the industry's lack of corporate social disclosure, ranked cruise companies according to an analysis of their corporate social responsibility reports and websites, and came up with what it called "the "first cruise sector sustainability reporting index".