Bluewashing and the Illusion of Sustainability in the Cruise Industry

Abstract The cruise industry often presents itself as a champion of sustainable tourism. However, despite its public commitments to environmental responsibility, its operations remain a major source of marine pollution, habitat degradation and ecological damage. Drawing on green criminology and the concept of eco-justice, this article critically examines how the cruise tourism industry engages in “bluewashing”. This refers to the strategic use of misleading narratives about sustainability to conceal real impact, evade regulatory scrutiny and legitimise continued environmental exploitation. These discursive practices paper over the gap between corporate claims and material reality, allowing harm to occur under the guise of sustainability. Our analysis highlights how bluewashing contributes to regulatory evasion, facilitates structural impunity, and exacerbates ecological injustice, especially for vulnerable coastal communities and marine ecosystems. Addressing these dynamics requires robust legal frameworks, greater corporate accountability, and an ecocentric paradigm that prioritises ocean integrity over profit-driven consumption.