Cruise travel faces increased demand and protests, plus more stories

For PropertyGuru’s news roundup, there’s a rising demand for cruise ship travel, but the industry also sees more protests against excessive tourism in certain ports. In other updates, industry buildings and factories are being transformed into office workspaces. Lastly, learn how data centre operators protect their assets from cybersecurity threats.

Global cruise industry sees growing demand, wary of port protests

The global cruise industry expects to carry 10 percent more passengers by 2028 than the 31.7 million who took cruise holidays in 2023, when the sector surpassed pre-pandemic levels, but sees some routes exposed to protests over overtourism.

Long criticised for its impact on the environment and coastal communities, the industry has ordered 57 more cruise ships in addition to some 300 now in operation to meet the projected demand, said the European director of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Marie-Caroline Laurent.

But as travel continues to grow, cruise operators face a growing debate about excessive tourist numbers in crowded European port cities such as Spain’s Barcelona, the scene of protests this month in which a small group sprayed tourists with water pistols. Cruise ship passengers represent just 4 percent of all tourists visiting Barcelona, CLIA representatives said. Jaume Collboni, the mayor of Barcelona, which is the biggest cruise ship port in Europe, told Reuters his administration would seek a new deal with the port to reduce the number of one-day cruise calls.

CLIA’s Laurent said violent protests could have an impact on the itineraries in the future.

From factories to workspaces: The evolution of industrial buildings into modern offices

Industrial heritage, once central to urban growth and economic prosperity, is now often neglected and underused. Around the world, various factories, mills, and warehouses sit abandoned, and their distinctive structures fall into disuse. These buildings were typically constructed from materials such as brick, steel, concrete, and large glass windows. Known for their strength and longevity, these materials make the structures ideal candidates for refurbishment, maintaining structural integrity.

In today’s climate crisis, refurbishing these industrial heritage landmarks is often the more sustainable and cost-effective design solution. By reimagining these spaces, designers can brainstorm new modes of work that emphasize collaboration, flexibility, respect for heritage, and creativity. This curated collection explores five modern workspaces that were designed in refurbished industrial structures, exploring the revitalization of these buildings and the modern workforce. Whether it is an old Sugar Factory warehouse conversion in Lisbon or a former cotton mill in Dunkirk, these new workspaces reimagine industrial relics into vibrant hubs of modern work.

ArchDaily features five projects that reimagine industrial heritage sites into office spaces.

Protecting data centres against emerging cybersecurity threats

Attacks against the data centre industry are growing more numerous and sophisticated. Data centre operators need to acknowledge and plan for new security threats caused by malicious attackers and geopolitical conflict, says DataCenterNews Asia.

This begs the question: why are so many of them targeting data centres in particular?

Data is the currency of the digital world. Much like the bank robbers of old, today’s cybercriminals attack data centres because that’s where the data is. Data centre operators collect and manage an asset that has tremendous value, and we must be ready to protect it accordingly.

Attacks against data centres may be growing more widespread and sophisticated, but the security tools we’re using to protect ourselves and our customers are maturing as well. In particular, we’re looking at how we can implement AI-driven security capabilities to thwart attacks and keep our customers’ systems and hosted data secure.

The Property Report editors wrote this article. For more information, email: [email protected].