Page 20: of Marine News Magazine (January 2021)

19 21

Column

Passenger Vessels

Passenger Vessel Association

Looking Forward

The COVID-19 pandemic has been as tough on the passenger vessel sector as any, but that’s not to say there isn’t cause for optimism.

By Colleen Stephens, PVA President 2020-2021 All images: Stan Stephens Glacier and Wildlife Cruises

As we take a breath and collectively step into 2021,

I’m choosing to be optimistic and focus on the opportu- nities ahead. Trust me, that’s not easy to say. Even as we are still experiencing a global pandemic which has devas- tated both the health and ? nancial safety of our families, friends, employees, businesses, and communities. We may be down, but I say don’t lose hope.

Stronger together

As President of the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) and President of my family’s business, Stan Stephens Gla- cier and Wildlife Cruises, I have been encouraged by my fellow PVA members, as they weather the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19. I am proud to say that over the past year I have seen the PVA network come together and support each other like never before. PVA members have al- ways been innovative and stalwart leaders and 2020 proved no different. In the spring, PVA’s committees jumped into action, meeting regularly online to discuss challenges and develop best practices. To ensure that companies could resume operations while protecting the health and safety of passengers and employees, PVA produced Reopening

Guidelines: Getting the Domestic Passenger Vessel Indus- try Back Underway. When government emergency funding became available, the PVA team created webinars and tools to help members ? gure out how to apply and distribute this money to their employees. In April of 2020, I wrote a let- 20 | MN January 2021