Looking Forward to 2026 With Enthusiasm

Happy New Year from all of us at the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA). Please accept our best wishes for a safe and prosperous year ahead. We are thrilled to open another exciting chapter representing the interests of our growing PVA membership in Washington, D.C. Please know that PVA leaders and staff will continue diligently representing the interests of our ever-changing industry and we encourage your continued participation in this important journey.

PVA leaders and staff will continue diligently representing the interests of our ever-changing industry and we encourage your continued participation in this important journey.

Confidence In Travel And Tourism For 2026

Travel industry experts are forecasting steady growth for domestic travel in 2026. This optimism, while somewhat tempered, is based on the positive performance of travel metrics in 2025. While 2025 began similarly with cautious optimism there was initially general concern about impending tariffs, coupled with a seesawing stock market that raised red flags early in the year about expected economic conditions and a possible slowdown in discretionary domestic travel. Forecasts for decreasing inbound international travelers to the U.S., which became a reality, also caused widespread early concerns. Fortunately, U.S. travel and tourism spending on most domestic fronts remained strong throughout 2025.

The U.S. Travel Association (U.S. Travel), a major research leader in the travel industry, is expecting growth for domestic travel in the U.S. in 2026. They have forecast travel spending to increase to $1.49 trillion by 2029.

While international visitors to the U.S. decreased significantly in 2025 for a variety of reasons, U.S. Travel believes that this market segment will resume growth in 2026; with some estimates reaching approximately 70 million international visitors.

America’s 250th Anniversary Celebration and the FIFA 2026 World Cup are two events which are expected to attract widespread interest, big crowds, and extensive travel and tourism demand.

As you can tell, 2026 offers a great deal of opportunity for those associated with travel and tourism and the passenger vessel industry.

PVA Programs With Lasting Benefits

This year will also usher in a continuing procession of new programs and member benefits for PVA members. The association’s commitment to member service is unwavering. The PVA family of passenger vessel operators and suppliers is one of intensely loyal supporters who enthusiastically share their experience, knowledge, and expertise with each other for the common good. Their collaboration creates new member products that can be used to improve company operations and safety. Members participate in PVA committees, task forces, and working groups that formulate legislative and regulatory policies and develop programs and training tools that help members educate employees and crew and efficiently manage their businesses.

The following is an example of a recent program that was developed by PVA members for specifically member use.

New Pva Cybersecurity Training Program

Meets U.S. Coast Guard Training Requirements

PVA has introduced a new training program to assist members meet the newly required the Coast Guard’s cybersecurity training requirement. PVA members can use this program and easily incorporate it into their existing security program.

The PVA Cybersecurity Training Program meets 33 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 101.650(d) training requirements and is consistent with Coast Guard guidance contained in:

• Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 02-24, CH 1 – Reporting breaches of security, suspicious activity, transportation security incidents, and cyber incidents
• CG-5PC Policy Letter 01-25 – Cybersecurity training for personnel with access to information technology or operational technology systems

Key Elements Of The Pva Cybersecurity Training Program

• Recognition and detection of cybersecurity threats and incidents
• Techniques to circumvent cybersecurity measures
• Basic cyber hygiene, such as phishing prevention, password management, and secure practices for interacting with critical systems
• Procedures for reporting cyber incidents to the designated company security officer (CSO) or cybersecurity officer (CySO) once assigned
• Operational technology (OT) specific cybersecurity training for all personnel whose duties include using OT

The PVA Cybersecurity Training Program is located under the Security Tools section of the Member Resources page of the PVA website.

Welcome To Maritrends 2026

A fantastic convention has been planned in Covington, Ky. The PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2026 offers more than 60 educational sessions, with approximately 90 speakers. These thought-provoking sessions introduce new ideas on everything from marketing to regulations, from safety to employee relations, and the sessions provide exposure to the latest operational advancements that will help improve career advancement, as well as marine management and operations.

Pva Operators Day Offers Open Discussion, Collaboration, and More
Wednesday, Feb. 25 | 9:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.

Passenger Vessel Operators Day is a full day of education specifically tailored to the interests of vessel operators. This thought-provoking program is planned with the understanding that PVA members learn best when they are learning from each other. Following this philosophy, Passenger Vessel Operators Day emphasizes collaboration, open discussions, roundtables, and information sharing formats.

Maritrends 2026 Exhibit Floor: The Convention Gathering Place

The MariTrends 2026 exhibit floor showcases innovation, and a wide range of indispensable products and services specifically for passenger vessel operators. Loyal PVA associate member exhibitors stand ready to share their knowledge and expertise.

Keynote Addresses From Top Maritime Leaders

As a bonus to an already impressive convention program, MariTrends 2026 will feature two maritime leaders who are literally shaping policy for our industry. These individuals have important perspectives on the issues which most affect our industry.

Opening General Session
Sunday Feb. 22 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Including the presentation of two noteworthy PVA safety awards:

• Elizabeth Gedney Passenger Vessel Safety Award
• Roger Murphy National Marine Safety Award

It is an honor to have Admiral Kevin E. Lunday take part in MariTrends 2026 to share his goals and vision for the Coast Guard as it 28th commandant. From this position, Admiral Lunday directs operations to control, secure, and defend the U.S. border and maritime approaches, facilitate commerce vital to U.S. economic prosperity and strategic mobility, and respond to crises or contingencies that may come without warning. He leads 57,000 Coast Guard military (active and reserve) and civilian personnel, supported by 21,000 auxiliary volunteers.

Admiral Lunday served as the acting commandant until assuming his current duties, directing the initial implementation of Force Design 2028 to transform the Coast Guard into a more agile, capable, and responsive fighting force. He was the 34th vice commandant from June 2024 to January 2025.

In 2024 Admiral Lunday was commander of the Atlantic Area with responsibility for operations from the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf, spanning the inland navigable waterways, Great Lakes, Gulf Coast, and East Coast of the U.S. throughout the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and parts of the Arctic Ocean.

He also served as commander of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District in the Pacific, leading operations throughout Oceania, including Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, as well as activities in Japan and Singapore.

He was commander of U.S. Coast Guard Cyber Command where he directed the operation and defense of the Coast Guard Enterprise Mission Platform as part of Department of Defense (DoD) networks and led remote and deployable cyberspace operations to protect U.S. maritime critical infrastructure from cyberattack.

A career national security attorney and judge advocate, Admiral Lunday is a distinguished graduate of the National War College with a Master of Science in National Security Strategy. He graduated with distinction from the Naval War College, holds a Juris Doctor with high honors from George Washington University Law School, and a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering with honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy

General Session
Monday, Feb. 23 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Member Inman’s career includes work in the federal, state and private sectors that give him a broad policy perspective. Before joining the NTSB, Member Inman served as senior director in the Office of the Executive Chairman at APCO Worldwide, a global public affairs consultancy. Before that, he served as secretary of the Department of Management Services for the State of Florida, for which the Florida Senate unanimously confirmed him to oversee eight major operating divisions. In that role he managed over 1,000 employees with a $1 billion dollar budget.

He has held various positions at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), where he was the chief of staff after serving as deputy chief of staff and director of operations in the Office of the Secretary. This involvement provided him with a deep understanding of the agency’s multifaceted responsibilities, particularly in safety regulation. While at DOT he led numerous rulemaking efforts and oversaw the security, intelligence, and response division, and tracked thousands of incidents annually.

Member Inman became a recognized expert in fire and arson investigations as an independent contractor agent and claims superintendent at State Farm Insurance Companies. There he honed his skills in cause and origin investigations involving fire and explosions. As an instructor for the National Fire Academy’s regional delivery program, he shared his expertise in arson detection with first responders.

Member Inman has over 200 hours of continuing education in fire investigation and was previously certified as an expert in federal and state court. He has also been actively engaged in emergency response functions at the state and federal levels, leading the logistics and communications divisions of the emergency management service function for the State of Florida, and leading Emergency Response Function 1 for the National Response Framework at U.S. DOT.

Thank You

Special thanks go to BB Riverboats, Alan Bernstein, Mary Bernstein, Terri Bernstein, and Ben Bernstein for bringing us to beautiful Northern Kentucky, for graciously hosting us aboard the beautiful Belle of Cincinnati, and for all they have done to make MariTrends 2026 such a success.

The PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2026 is a highly focused event featuring education, products, services, and networking aimed squarely at the entire passenger vessel industry. There is no other event like it. I look forward to seeing you in Covington for this spectacular gathering of industry friends and colleagues.

In the meantime, please let me know whenever we can be of assistance to you.

Sincerely,

John R. Groundwater
Executive Director