Position Statement On Responsible Cruise Ship TourisM

Cruise ship tourism should benefit York County economically and emphasize Yorktown’s historical significance as the locus of the defining battle of the American Revolution. Cruise lines should always submit detailed plans to York County for sharing Yorktown’s legacy with their passengers through tours and local businesses engagement[1].

Cruise ships registered in the United States contribute to the US economy through corporate taxes and must follow US labor laws. The large foreign-flagged passenger ships are not required to pay US federal taxes and do not comply with all US labor laws. Only American-flagged cruise ships registered in the US should be allowed to do business in Yorktown. 

The scale of cruise tourism must be compatible with the small historic village of Yorktown. Appropriately sized American-flagged river-class cruise ships with ~200 passengers or less are considered acceptable. These ships can dock without special security requirements and will not over-saturate the local infrastructure. They should be of a size that will not create a visual spectacle detracting from the character of the community. Frequency of visits must also be considered in the scale of tourism. No more than one cruise ship should dock on a given day. Frequency should also be tempered by local events, prioritizing the local community over the cruise industry. Large ocean-class ships should not be allowed to tender to public or private piers in York County, as these large ships are directly related to environmental concerns and growth/expansion concerns as seen in many other port cities. 

The York River and the air quality in York County should be protected by limiting environmental impacts of cruise tourism. This is essential to protect our river and the businesses and sportsmen that depend on it. Long-term environmental effects must always be considered to protect future generations. A key stipulation toward this goal is the use of low-sulfur fuels, which avoids the requirement for open-loop scrubbers. Cleaner fuels directly reduce toxicants in the ship’s exhaust that can be harmful to both wildlife and human health, whereas open loop scrubbers remove these components from the exhaust and then flush them into the river. Other pollution impacts should be carefully examined as well to protect our fragile ecosystem[2].

York County should only do business with cruise lines that have demonstrated sound, ethical, lawful, and transparent business practices. The cruise line must be a responsible partner to York County, our Nation, and the world community. York County should conduct all appropriate due diligence for both public and/or private cruise line business/tourism agreements. As part of this process, and with robust citizen input, the County should develop a detailed Memorandum of Understanding with each company regarding limitations on vessel size, frequency and timing of visits. It is vitally important that citizens understand and endorse the decisions that so heavily impact our community.

1. Examples: Locally run Yorktown excursions, sourcing locally, providing passenger flexibility for local shops, businesses, and restaurants. 

2. Other considerations include but are not limited to: Processing and removal of bilge and wastewater, recycling, elimination of single-use plastics, use of shore power (York County should consider this to support clean tourism), light pollution, noise pollution. 

3. This a a consensus position and is considered a minimum.