Abstract
Abstract. The Cruise Line industry (CLI) is working on plans to recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19. Along with the expected benefits of a post COVID19 surge in cruise tourism, destination ports have an opportunity to mitigate potential impacts that come with the tourist economy. In this study, we expand on our previous work on four CLI destination sites (two in the Caribbean and two meso-American) to a larger regional study area in the Caribbean Sea and investigate the sustainability of destination marine infrastructure and near port transportation resilience. Twenty- Eight destinations were analyzed in the study. All the CLI destinations ports in the study are considered mature for cruise tourism and have tourist attractions of interest (including historic, natural, shopping, and other areas with sociocultural authenticity), which can be reached during a one day ship visit. An analysis of the marine traffic and geographic settings provides a more complete picture on key parameters that can potentially impact the commerce and livelihoods of local communities near destination ports. The results of the study also provide potential solutions for mitigating these impacts. As a baseline for fully operational cruise industry in the Caribbean Sea, the 2019 cruise year was analyzed since it was the last full year without impact from COVID-19. This paper offers a wider empirical view of CLI impacts on the Caribbean region once the industry resumes to full capacity following the COVID-19 pandemic, and it presents results and recommendations to build a framework for continued study of CLI sustainability.
Highlights
Previous work on Caribbean Sea cruise tourism identifies the impact of international tourism on local cultures where economics are seen as a key issue in tourism management and policy Wood (2000) and Wood (2004)
Environmental and cultural impacts are being considered with particular attention paid to the aspects of near shore Cruise Line industry (CLI) transportation
Much of the literature addressing the CLI focuses on the economic aspects of cruise tourism and how business should operate to demonstrate benefits to destinations, while maximizing profit for the CLI
Summary
Previous work on Caribbean Sea cruise tourism identifies the impact of international tourism on local cultures where economics are seen as a key issue in tourism management and policy Wood (2000) and Wood (2004). Satellite derived bathymetry (SDB), vessel traffic information from autonomous identification systems (AIS), and data derived from electronic navigational charts determine the CLI impacts on a given destination’s port facility, including potential congestion, sea bottom characteristics, and an estimation of cruise ship capacity Nyberg et al (2021) Focus areas in the port analysis include efficient and safe passenger debarkation, the port’s ability to accommodate growth, and the proximity of the ship’s debarkation point to areas of interest for tourists These factors will help to determine the sustainability of the CLI in a destination’s near shore environment and may discover potential stressors including local economic disruption, interference with seafaring cultures, and impact on the marine environment. The port facility and infrastructure joining it to the tourist network serve as the interface between these two cartographic domains
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