Page 18: of Marine News Magazine (January 2021)

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Column

Passenger Vessels

Steering a Course Through Testing Waters

The head of global trade association Interferry re? ects on the unprecedented challenges of 2020 and those ahead—but makes a case for cautious optimism.

By Mike Corrigan, CEO, Interferry

What a difference a year makes…

In this column last January, I was hailing the worldwide ferry tions has already seen income reduced by billions of dol- industry’s exceptional growth in 2019—marked by soaring lars. That traditional seasonal greeting, “wishing you a tourist traf? c and a host of newbuild orders—and eagerly an- healthy and prosperous New Year,” could hardly come at a ticipating further advances in 2020. None of us could have more appropriate and heartfelt time.

known that within a matter of weeks, all expectations were to Prospects for health and wealth in the immediate future be upturned by a global crisis of unimaginable scale. are anyone’s guess right now, but there is at least one good

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to take its toll on reason to suggest that we may have turned a crucial corner. lives and livelihoods throughout society. Within the ferry Several vaccines have now been licensed as safe and effec- community alone, the economic impact of travel restric- tive by various administrations around the world. From a

Overall, our aim is that the regulations incentivize and reward our members for their efforts on energy ef? ciency—including the use of greener fuels and shore power—and acknowledge every kilogram of reduced CO2 emissions.

© Steve Cukrov / Adobe Stock 18 | MN January 2021