Informing Artisanal Pearl and Pearl-Shell Handicraft Production for the Cruise Tourism Market Through Analysis of Intended Purchase Behavior

Abstract

The production and vending of handicrafts by the indigenous peoples of cruise destinations in the Pacific region has unrealized potential. Handicraft sector development strategies are constrained by the limited information guiding what products to produce, which product attributes are important, and appropriate pricing for the cruise tourism market. Using structured interviews, we evaluate cruise passenger preferences and intended purchase behavior towards a range of mabé pearl and motherof-pearl (MoP) handicrafts. Our study is conducted in a newly emergent cruise destination, Papua New Guinea, where cruise passenger demand for handicrafts, purchased as souvenirs, goes largely unmet. The majority of cruise passengers expressed both interest and willingness in purchasing mabé pearl and MoP handicrafts, though preferences were found to exist for specific products and product attributes. Latent factor analysis revealed cruise passenger preferences could be summarized by the importance an individual assigned to a handmade product, a product with accompanying information, or the aesthetic appeal of a product. The importance assigned to these factors was found independent of cruise ship and passenger demographics, but partly explained by purchase intent (i.e., purchase for self or others). Factoring these results into handicraft development strategies will help maximize local economic benefits from pearl industries and cruise tourism in Papua New Guinea, but also throughout the Pacific region.