Not content with simply establishing a reputation as an attractive stop on cruise itineraries, the port has placed sustainability at the centre of its development. <\/p>\n
\u201cRecognising the importance of environmental stewardship, the port has implemented a range of sustainable practices,\u201d says Tore Gautesen, port director.<\/p>\n
Long established<\/strong><\/p>\n Nestled on Norway\u2019s southwest coast between Bergen and Stavanger, the town of Haugesund has long welcomed cruise passengers exploring the region on day trips from ships sailing the fjords. <\/p>\n In 2010, the Port of Haugesund (administered by Karmsund Port Authority) began building up its own capacity to berth cruise ships, with the first cruise vessel calling in 2013. In the intervening years, the number of ships calling has increased steadily and in 2023 the port welcomed 134 cruise ships, bringing around 420,000 passengers to Haugesund. <\/p>\n One of the most significant of the port\u2019s new sustainable initiatives is the launch in summer 2023 of its new shore power facilities for cruise ships visiting Haugesund.<\/p>\n The Port of Haugesund owns a dedicated shore power company called Havnekraft (directly translated: PortPower), together with regional energy provider Haugaland Kraft. Through this company, the port offers shore power from environmentally friendly Norwegian hydropower plants to ships calling at the terminal. <\/p>\n \u201cOur investment in shore power facilities is reducing emissions and minimising the environmental impact of cruise ships while in port,\u201d says Mr Gautesen. \u201cIn our opinion, shore power is a \u2018licence to operate\u2019 in the cruise industry going forward.\u201d <\/p>\n Provision of LNG bunkering services to those cruise ships that are built or adapted for the fuel to lower their emissions is another strategy adopted by the port to boost its green credentials. \u201cIn cooperation with a local company, Port of Haugesund now offers LNG bunkering at the cruise terminal,\u201d says Mr Gautesen.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the future the port will, together with Havnekraft and other partners, work for sustainable solutions connected to alternative fuels.\u201d <\/p>\n Sustainable tourism<\/strong><\/p>\n Cooperation with other ports in the region and beyond is an important part of the picture when it comes to encouraging sustainable cruise tourism in Haugesund.<\/p>\n Mr Gautesen explains: \u201cTogether with more than 20 other ports in Norway and Iceland, we are a partner in The Environmental Port Index (EPI). This offers a unique reporting tool, with the aim of empowering ship owners and port operators to increase their operational efficiency while reducing their impact on the environment.\u201d <\/p>\n The port also actively collaborates with local authorities, cruise lines and suppliers to promote waste reduction, recycling and responsible tourism practices.<\/p>\n \u201cOur commitment to sustainability extends beyond the port, as we actively engage with local communities to raise awareness and foster a culture of environmental responsibility,\u201d says Mr Gautesen. \u201cWe recognise the power of collaboration and partnerships in driving industry growth.\u201d <\/p>\n Over the last ten years, the Port of Haugesund has worked closely together in a partnership with the local tourism board, Visit Haugesund, led by director Vigleik Dueland.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has been the most important \u2018key\u2019 to our success,\u201d says Mr Gautesen. \u201cTogether we actively engage with cruise lines, local businesses, tourism organisations and government bodies to foster mutually beneficial relationships. By working together, we have successfully attracted new cruise lines to our port. Our collaborative approach has also contributed to the overall economic development of the region.\u201d <\/p>\n Port innovation<\/strong><\/p>\n The port has embraced innovation and technology to enhance the cruise experience.<\/p>\n It has implemented digital solutions to streamline communication and provide real-time information to the cruise lines. Security systems ensure the safety and well-being of visitors, while the port\u2019s infrastructure optimises operational efficiency.<\/p>\n \u201dBy embracing efficient and safe passenger flow in the cruise port, we have set a benchmark for other cruise ports to follow,\u201d says Mr Gautesen.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have made it a priority to provide an exceptional experience for passengers. Our commitment to customer satisfaction is evident through our state-of-the-art facilities, seamless embarkation and disembarkation processes, and a wide range of shore excursions that showcase the unique cultural and natural heritage of the region.\u201d <\/p>\n He takes pride in the port\u2019s commitment to community engagement and social impact.<\/p>\n \u201cWe actively support local initiatives and cultural events, ensuring that the benefits of cruise tourism are shared with the wider community,\u201d he says. \u201cBy involving local businesses and artisans in our shore excursions and onboard dining experiences (for example, local seafood), we contribute to the preservation of local traditions and heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur dedication to social responsibility has earned us the respect and support of the local community, making Haugesund Cruise Port a true partner in sustainable development. In Haugesund the people are very proud of the cruise ships and passengers coming to visit us. The politicians are also very positive, embracing the very positive impact the cruise industry has contributed to in our region.\u201d <\/p>\n Mr Gautesen estimates that Haugesund is \u201cprobably the fastest growing \u2018new\u2019 cruise port in Europe\u201d and says that winning Port of the Year at the 2023 Seatrade Cruise Awards in Hamburg in November 2023 confirmed for him that the port had adopted the right strategy of sustainable growth.<\/p>\n \u201cThe award recognised our accomplishments and serves as a testament to our ongoing dedication to excellence. Our achievements, innovations and initiatives have positioned us as a trailblazer in the global cruise industry, and our commitment to providing an unparalleled passenger experience, embracing sustainability, fostering innovation, nurturing partnerships and engaging with the community sets us apart.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Norway\u2019s Port of\u00a0Haugesund is establishing itself as a cruise port of call with impressive green credentials.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3977,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[75,34,1376],"tags":[1378,296,183,318,1377,29,1379,179,71,91],"sponsor":[],"class_list":["post-3976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cruise-greenport","category-europe-greenport","category-greenport-exclusive","tag-communities","tag-cruise","tag-lng","tag-norway","tag-port-of-haugesund","tag-recycling","tag-responsible-tourism","tag-shore-power","tag-sustainability","tag-waste"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3976"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3976\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3978,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3976\/revisions\/3978"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3976"},{"taxonomy":"sponsor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sponsor?post=3976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}