Opportunities, challenges, and future of cruise ship tourism: Beyond COVID-19 with ubiquitous information sharing and decision-making

Abstract

This paper aimed to assess the external environment and resource base of the cruise ship tourism sector in the Asia Pacific region. Following this, an analytical framework with key themes was developed, with implications for further research focusing on seamlessly connected global market perspectives. A desk research approach was used with the PESTEL and RBV-SWOT analyses of current cruise ship tourism focusing on information seeking, information sharing, and co-value creation based on ubiquitous network perspectives. From the study, three recommendations were developed: 1) strategic market expansion in Asia, based on information sharing and analysis; 2) implementation of the ubiquitous customer relationship management; 3) communicating sustainability and risk management during the current COVID-19 pandemic. It is strongly recommended to engage relevant stakeholders in designing future cruise tourism strategies in line with the global responsibility of sustainable business behaviour based on ubiquitous information sharing and seamless decision-making.