Perspectives of cruise tourism in the City of Rijeka

Alen Jugović

doi:10.31217/p.34.2.6

Abstract

Purpose – This article discusses a type of activity, level of consumption, and cruise ship tourists’ satisfaction in a destination to understand the perspectives of cruise tourism in the city. Design/Methodology – The research was conducted during 2018 by personal interviews or website questionnaires among 163 cruise tourists in the city of Rijeka, Croatia. The survey included 15 questions that were categorized into five thematic units. The data were processed by descriptive statistics. Findings – According to a slight increase in travelers’ consumption but also their overall satisfaction, the results suggest an increase in destination attractiveness. The economic results are still at a modest level. A set of measures has been proposed to improve tourism services in the destination. Originality of the research – Given those cruise companies are permanently on the lookout for attractive destinations, it is up to cities to attract cruise ships to their ports. It is necessary to assess and check the tourists’ experience of a cruise destination permanently so that the offerings of port city can be adjusted to the changing demands of passengers. Limiting factors associated with cruising point to caution in assessing the future of cruise tourism, especially in a city where this kind of business is just beginning.

Highlights

Cruise tourism is a complex economic activity that has many implications for society as a whole
This article discusses a type of activity, level of consumption, and cruise ship tourists’ satisfaction in a destination to understand the perspectives of cruise tourism in the city
According to a slight increase in travelers’ consumption and their overall satisfaction, the results suggest an increase in destination attractiveness

Summary

Introduction

Cruise tourism is a complex economic activity that has many implications for society as a whole It represents a combined connection of elements and features of many different activities including traffic, tourism, and entertainment. Cruise companies have to meet the challenge of developing competitive cruise packages while optimizing the employment of their fleet of ships because this will minimize operating costs and/or maximize total revenue per passenger on board In doing so, they must consider the circumstances and requirements prevailing in the tourism market, such as the seasonality of demand, the optimal duration of travel, a balance between navigation time and port time, available time in port for trips and sightseeing at tourist destinations, and overall cruise guest satisfaction (Rodrigue and Notteboom, 2013)

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Conclusion