LONDON—UK cruising industry group the Passenger Shipping Association has been working with Four Communications in the wake of the tragic Costa Concordia incident in Italy. The association has been running a media interview program to provide information and to reassure passengers regarding the safety record of cruising industry.
Bill Gibbons, PSA director, has appeared on broadcast news channels including Sky News, BBC World, BBC Breakfast, Radio Four, Radio Five Live and CNN, making the case that such incidents are rare and that all cruise ships subject to stringent international maritime regulations and procedures.
The PSA PR team, led by PR director Penny Guy with support from Four Communications, has been working alongside the Carnival communications team, and providing regular media updates to all PSA cruise members. Internationally, media liaison on behalf of the industry is also being facilitated through the Cruise Lines International Association and the European Cruise Council.
“Our focus has been to balance news reaction to the immediate incident with a more considered view on how safely over 1.7m UK passengers sailed millions of cruise miles last year,” says Guy. “Our seafaring industry always has safety as its very first priority, and we will continue to work closely with all interested parties to learn from this tragic event to further enhance the safety of cruise ships worldwide.”