Cruise and Tourism Ports: Managing Growth Responsibly

Cruise and tourism ports play a vital role in driving economic growth, regional connectivity, and cultural exchange. As global cruise tourism has surpassed pre-pandemic levels and continues to scale, ports face renewed opportunities alongside growing pressures on infrastructure, communities, and sensitive coastal and marine environments. Increasingly, ports are assessed not only on efficiency and capacity, but on how responsibly they manage environmental and social impacts.

These challenges are particularly acute in Southeast Asia, where cruise and tourism ports range from major international gateways to small, destination-led terminals embedded in fragile ecosystems and local communities. Unmanaged growth can undermine the very destinations that ports depend on for long-term success.

This session explores how cruise and tourism ports can support growth while safeguarding environmental values, strengthening community trust, and maintaining social license to operate. It will examine how green and resilient port principles can be applied to cruise terminals and destinations to manage risk, enhance resilience, and deliver long-term value across Southeast Asia.

This webinar is the fourth in the Green Ports Webinar series organized by the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility (ACGF) and hosted by the Southeast Asia Development Solutions platform of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

ACGF is an ASEAN Infrastructure Fund initiative supporting governments in Southeast Asia to prepare and finance infrastructure projects that promote environmental sustainability and contribute to climate change goals. ACGF is owned by ASEAN governments and ADB.

Speakers

• Jessie McComb, Senior Tourism Industry Specialist, ADB 
• Scott Lagueux, Director, Waterfront Planning Moffatt & Nichol 
• Phil Jordan, Director of Sustainability and Delivery, Scenic 
• Moderator: Jackie Spiteri, Managing Director, SESG