As you may imagine, limiting access to other cruise lines would ultimately help his business, but there's more to it than that according to the company. That's why this week Lindblad threw his staunch support behind the call from the Obama Administration for stricter enforcement and limits on tourism. (You'll recall that last week I wrote about the suggested amendments to the Antarctica Treaty.)
In essence the amendments will make a formal policy out of the voluntary practices that members of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operations (IAATO) follow now.
For example:
- Limit landings to no more than 100 people at a time
- Provide at least one guide for every 20 travelers
- Ships with more than 500 passengers are not allowed to land tourists
Lindblad argues that ships with a capacity of more than 500 passengers shouldn't even be allowed access to Antarctica for scenic cruise-bys. Why? It's a simple matter of safety. Those ships don't often sail the region and are less familiar with the poorly charted region and they are usually non ice-class vessels without special reinforced hulls. An accident with a ship like that could lead to the loss of lives as well as negatively impacting the environment.
Lindblad Travel, parent company of Lindblad Expeditions, was one of the first tour operators to offer travel packages to Antarctica. That was back in 1966 and the company has spent decades intimately acquainted with the area and respecting its unique topography and ecology. In fact, Sven Lindblad himself spent 1973/1974 in Antarctica working with his father on the Lindblad Explorer, the first purpose-built expedition ship. "It was exciting, to be sure, but not without danger," says Lindblad. "We were hit twice by storms so intense and without warning that it's still a surprise to me that no serious accidents occurred."
Lindblad went on to explain that today "our ship expeditions are much safer than they were in the 1970s, as we have better weather and ice prediction services, improved emergency communications, and new technology that allows us to navigate our ships more safely. But clearly the most important difference is how much more experience we have now, and our captains and expedition leaders are—without a doubt—the most experienced and knowledgeable in the industry, with many of them having over 100 expeditions in the ice of Antarctica."
"Lindblad Expeditions believes it is important for the entire industry, and not just a segment of it, to operate at the highest standards possible, with well equipped, well built ships and knowledgeable, experienced crews," maintains Lindblad. "I am confident in our ability and experience to test limits and give our guests an exciting expedition by taking them into the real teeth of Antarctica, and also to get them back safely. It makes sense for everyone operating down there to be similarly confident, and we hope these guidelines are formalized."
For more information, visit the…
- Secretariat of the Antarctica Treaty
- National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs
- Association of Antarctic Tour Operations
- Lindblad Expeditions
Interested in luxury cruise news and unbiased reviews? Visit LuxuryCruiseBible.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment