Institute of Island Studies to Host Public Lecture on Cruise Ship Tourism
The Institute of Island Studies (IIS) at the University of Prince Edward Island has a mandate to encourage public discussion on issues that are important to the development of PEI. The Institute has identified the recent move to increase cruise ship tourism as a current issue that deserves more public consideration. To give Islanders an opportunity to hear about the advantages and disadvantages of this type of development, the IIS is organizing a public lecture and discussion on Cruise Ship Tourism to take place in the Duffy Amphitheatre at UPEI, from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 26.
It will start with a presentation on the planned development in Charlottetown Harbour and the projections for generating economic benefits from increased cruise tourism. Then participants will hear from Dr. Ross Klein of Memorial University, whose research on the cruise ship industry in the Atlantic region and worldwide has led to the identification of certain pitfalls to be avoided while pursuing this development path. Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino, Canada Research Chair in Island Studies at UPEI, will comment on some of the particular issues confronting small islands when they wish to engage the cruise line industry. He will be followed by a stakeholder panel discussion representing perspectives from small business, fishing, environment, labour and tourism, moderated by Bruce Garrity, Charlottetown City Council. This will provide an opportunity for questions and comments from the floor. The event will end with an outline of the key points raised during the evening, summarized by the Director of the Institute of Island Studies, Dr. Irene Novaczek.
"This is an opportunity for Islanders to appreciate both the potential benefits of cruise tourism and the challenges. By the end of the evening we hope everyone will be better informed and able to plan for and manage this development so that it is more sustainable, less damaging to the environment, and broadly beneficial to the local economy," states Dr. Novaczek. "We welcome everyone having an interest in issues of environment, economic development, quality of life, tourism management and labour standards to join us."
Admission is free and everyone is welcome. More information is available from the Institute of Island Studies at 566-0386 or iis@upei.ca.
