Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators
The Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators , AECO for short , is an international association of cruise lines that regularly undertake expedition trips in the Arctic . Other interested persons can also become members, membership is voluntary.
aims
The aim is to protect the Arctic's sensitive environment from damage caused by tourism. The organization wants to ensure that tourism in this region is carried out in a responsible, environmentally friendly and safe manner. AECO has imposed a catalog of guidelines on its members as a voluntary commitment. The area north of the 60th parallel is considered to be the arctic region . The actively processed by the AECO regions Greenland , Svalbard , Jan Mayen , the Arctic parts of Canada and the Arctic National Park Russia . Cruise companies advertise in their brochures that they belong to the AECO in order to show their customers their sense of responsibility for the sustainable use of tourism in the Arctic.
Foundation and structure
The organization was founded in 2003 by the Norwegian Ulf Prytz. The formal seat is Longyearbyen , the capital of the Norwegian archipelago, Spitsbergen. The organization consists of a secretariat with permanent employees and several committees that take on the various tasks of the organization as well as individual specialist topics. Every year a public conference on cruises in the Arctic is held in connection with the general assembly. AECO provides access to extensive information material, publishes its own publications, arranges research work, conducts training courses and advises governments and institutions. As of 2018, there were 27 full memberships and a larger number of related or affiliated members.
Guidelines
The guidelines contain a catalog of basic behavioral instructions, such as B. not to leave any garbage behind or not to pick plants. There are safety rules, especially when coming into contact with wild animals, especially polar bears. Another focus is on rules for treating the local population with respect and observing their social and cultural characteristics. Cruise companies submit to a planning and reporting process for their ships as well as the implementation of training measures for crew members.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ AECO ( EN ) In: Official website of the "Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators" . Retrieved June 24, 2018.
- ↑ Expedition experiences in small groups . In: Polar cruises . Retrieved June 26, 2018.