Paul Gauguin Cruises’ commitment to sustainable practices and community engagement has earned them a prestigious award. The cruise line’s healthcare collaboration with the French Polynesian government, known as the ‘Taote Gauguin’ program, was named the 2024 Sustainability Initiative of the Year at the Seatrade Cruise Awards in Málaga, Spain.
Launched in October 2023, the ‘Taote Gauguin’ program, named after the Tahitian word for doctor, ‘taote,’ aims to provide crucial medical assistance to some of the most remote islands in French Polynesia. Since the m/s Paul Gauguin regularly visits these islands, the ship’s medical team works alongside local doctors to handle emergencies and acute health situations. This initiative also grants access to the ship’s advanced medical facilities, significantly reducing the need for medical evacuations from these isolated locations. The program has already provided essential care to over 90 patients.
Hervé Gastinel, CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer of PONANT (the parent company of Paul Gauguin Cruises), expressed the company’s pride in receiving this recognition. “We are thrilled that this important healthcare initiative has received this recognition and are honored to continue to support the work of local doctors as they provide medical care to the people of the islands we call home,” Gastinel stated. “These wonderful communities have welcomed Paul Gauguin Cruises into their lives for 26 years, sharing their rich cultures, traditions, and natural wonders with our guests, and it is our privilege to give back and continue supporting those who live here.”
The Seatrade Cruise Awards program celebrates excellence in the cruise industry, recognizing innovative and creative projects that push the boundaries of technology and sustainability. Mary Bond, Seatrade Cruise Portfolio Director, commended Paul Gauguin Cruises for their dedication to social sustainability. “The work Paul Gauguin Cruises is doing in support of local communities in French Polynesia is a great example of cruising’s social sustainability focus in giving back to the communities its ships visit and deserves recognition.”
PONANT, the sister brand of Paul Gauguin Cruises, also received an award for the Most Innovative Shore Excursion of the Year for their new experience in East Greenland. This unique excursion, offered to guests aboard the world’s only luxury icebreaker, Le Commandant Charcot, takes travelers deep into the Inuit communities of Tasiilaq, Ittoqqortoormiit, and Sermersooq, the largest and most northern settlements in East Greenland. These areas, which are locked in pack ice for most of the year, remain largely inaccessible and rarely visited during winter and spring.
Developed in close collaboration with the local Inuit communities, this excursion prioritizes sustainability while fostering community engagement. The initiative not only preserves the delicate Arctic ecosystem but also promotes the cultural heritage and economic development of the Inuit people. PONANT has gone a step further by hiring Inuit residents from Tasiilaq to join the Expedition team, allowing them to share their daily lives and unique perspectives with guests aboard the ship.
The winners of the Seatrade Cruise Awards were selected by an independent panel of experts from various sectors of the international cruise community, including consultants, professors, editors, and operations executives.
