Cruise Ship Tourism Research Articles

Book Review: Cruise ship tourism by Ross K. Dowling

Cruise ship tourism by Ross K. Dowling. Wallingford, CABI, 2006. 441 pp. ISBN 1-84593-048-7

Cruisin' To Exclusion: Commodity Chains, the Cruise Industry, and Development in the Caribbean

Cruise ship tourism has become one of the fastest growing segments of the global tourism industry and is a central facet of the industry in various regions. This is particularly the case in the Caribbean where at any given time as many as 70 cruise ships may be operating. This article utilizes a global commodity chains (GCC) approach to investigate the political economy of the cruise ship industry and consider the development consequences for the Caribbean. It shows that a small number of global cruise lines use a combination of producer-driven and buyer-driven strategies to maximize on-board revenues and capture a very high proportion of economic surplus. The implications for developing country destinations are disturbingly clear. A Chinese version of this article's abstract is available online at: www.informaworld.com/rglo

Golden goose or Trojan horse? Cruise ship tourism in Pacific development

Abstract: Pacific governments seeking to expand national economies are increasingly looking to tourism to provide revenues. At the same time, companies that operate cruise ships are searching for new destinations for increasing numbers of larger, faster ships which they are launching to cater for steadily increasing demand for cruises. The Pacific region appeals to both companies and passengers as a cruise destination. This coincidence would, at first glance, seem to provide an opportunity for a mutually beneficial relationship between companies and governments in the region. But little is presently available to those in the Pacific who must decide what role this form of tourism might play in their future. This paper reviews some of the environmental, economic and societal impacts of cruise ship tourism and concludes that, managed effectively, this form of tourism can yield higher returns with lower risks than some alternatives and could form a part of a sustainable tourism policy.

The Socioeconomic Impacts of Cruise Tourism: A Case Study of Croatian Destinations

The aim of this research was to estimate the economic, promotional, and sociocultural impact of cruise tourism to Croatian destinations. Due to the anticipated growth of cruise tourism worldwide and, especially, in the Mediterranean, measuring its impacts is becoming an increasingly important issue in terms of appropriate planning of cruising tourism on the local level. The study reported here included the survey of cruise ship passengers and crew members in order to estimate their on-land expenditure, survey of hotel guests aimed to estimate the impact of cruise experience on repeat, land-based, visits, and survey of local residents aimed to estimate the sociocultural impact of cruise ship tourism. The study found that, in terms of the passenger- and crew-related expenditure, cruise passengers were relatively good spenders. They spent between 34 and 82 Euros, depending on the port of call. In terms of the value of cruising upon the return visit to a destination, the survey revealed that only between 1.5% and 3% of cruise passengers who visited Croatian destinations during 2000–2006 returned in 2006 as land-based visitors. In destinations with frequent cruise ship calls the negative impact on destination attractiveness is already present. Land-based tourists disliked seeing cruisers/cruise passengers in destination (23%), and were complaining of the noise generated by the cruise ships. Finally, residents also reported the adverse impact of cruisers and their passengers relating mostly to the excessive crowdedness created in the short time. However, they still supported cruise tourism, albeit advocating an urgent need to improve the traffic and visitor flow management. With an understanding of the economic value of the cruise industry and the range of the impact that it creates on land-based tourists and residents' community, the results are very important for drafting the strategic direction for cruise tourism development already under way in Croatia.

Investigating the Sustainability of Cruise Tourism: A Case Study of Key West

This qualitative research examines cruise ship tourism through a case study of Key West, Florida, exploring its perceived benefits and drawbacks. It outlines the growth of the industry, the issues raised by that growth, and uses the land-use tourism model developed by Vera Rebollo and Ivars Baidal (2003) to probe those issues. The results illustrate how mature cruise tourism destinations such as Key West fear continued growth and loss of sustainability, but have mixed emotions about future quantitative and qualitative growth.

Cruise Ship Tourism

Cruise Ship Tourism

Working Towards Policy Creation for Cruise Ship Tourism in Parks and Protected Areas of Nunavut

This article provides an understanding of the goals and operational procedures of current cruise ship operators in Nunavut and gives insight into the policies necessary to effectively manage cruise ship tourism in Nunavut. The exploratory research found that cruise tourism in Nunavut is perceived as a safe and economically viable industry. However, a number of important issues emerged: 1) the need for policies and guidelines to aid in the management of parks and protected areas in Nunavut; 2) the desire for unity across the Arctic cruise ship tourism industry; 3) the requirement for greater government awareness and assistance; and 4) the need for more research, particularly from local perspectives.

Cruise ship tourism on the Danube in Vojvodina Province as a segment of global tourism

Tourist packages based on cruises on the Danube river through Central and Eastern Europe represent a joint tourist offer of the countries in the area. The aim of the paper is to explore the potential benefits for the receptive countries and regions, particularly Vojvodina (Province of Serbia) by launching this tourist product to the world market. The results of the analysis have shown that the Danube cruises have positive impact on Vojvodina Province, primarily the riparian area of the Danube. Although the benefits exclude food and accommodation expenditure, they are noticeable within the following segments: tourism promotion (broadening the scopes of Vojvodina Province as a receptive area for the foreign market through its cultural heritage and natural values); increase in foreign tourist turnover, other expenditures; new job opportunities (adequate infrastructure and superstructure - rendering services to ships, crew and passengers) - harbors carriers, souvenir shops, etc. The results of the research may initiate further studies on the cause and effect connections between this type of traveling and resources of receptive countries, upon which the travels are based, both aiming at adequate design and launching of the tourist offer i.e. the optimal development of receptive countries through sustainable tourism.

Relationship Between Cruise-ship Tourism And Stay-over Tourism: A Case Study of the Shift In the Cayman Islands' Tourism Strategy

Like all Caribbean destinations, the Cayman Islands has two sectors of tourism: stay-over tourism and cruise-ship tourism. Before the 1990s, the official Cayman Islands' tourism strategy placed more emphasis on the stay-over sector. After the significant drop in the number of stay-over visitors in the late 1990s, the official stance shifted, placing more emphasis on the cruise-ship sector with the intent of converting cruise ship visitors into stay-over visitors. This study investigates the simultaneous relationship between the two sectors. Results suggest that in terms of the number of visitors generated to each other a) both sectors of tourism are simultaneously related, b) stay-over tourism is a substitute for cruise-ship tourism, and c) cruise-ship tourism is a complement to stay-over tourism. Policy makers should therefore note that while stay-over tourism is a substitute for cruise-ship tourism, cruise-ship is actually a complement to stay-over tourism.

Cruise tourism and community economic development in Central America and the Caribbean: The case of Costa Rica

This paper illustrates an economic approach to understanding the cruise tourism industry as a driver of economic development in Costa Rica. The objective is to describe the role and activities of the cruise ship industry and identify sources of economic benefit and cost such that more informed local policy decisions about the cruise ship tourism might be made. For example, our analysis indicates: the cruise tourism industry competes with the cargo shipping industry for port space at a significant cost to Costa Rican ports; the amount of money injected into the local economy per cruise tourist is substantially lower than for other types of tourism; Cruise ships purchase relatively few supplies in Costa Rica; Cruise ships generate a great deal of human waste, water and air pollution, which can create a serious health hazard, cleanup costs, and which are not commensurate with other types of tourism development available to Costa Rica; Decision makers may want to consider that investment in cruise tourism friendly ports may be less efficient from a national perspective than investment in infrastructure (e.g., airports) to increase more profitable types of tourism; And leaders may want to consider the encouragement of smaller pocket cruises over the current cruise version of mass tourism. This approach should be applicable to communities wher- ever cruise tourism currently exists or is under consideration to be included in the portfolio of community economic activities.

Falkland Islands cruise ship tourism: an overview of the 1999–2000 season and the way forward

1. Falkland Islands' tourism is evolving at an increasing pace. A record number of passengers, 23 497, visited the Islands during the 1999–2000 season. This rise was due to an increase in both the frequency of vessel visits and the average passenger capacity of vessels, with the number of luxury cruise ships of >1000 passengers steadily increasing. The Falklands' industry is made up of three types of vessel: the expedition cruise vessels (ca. 100–200 passengers); larger cruise vessels (ca. 400 passengers), and the luxury cruise vessels (ca. 1000 passengers). 2. The cruise ship industry has seen a diversification within the market, with cruises now available to a wider audience thus increasing the need for new experiences and landing sites. A similar diversification is being seen within the Islands themselves as the capacity to take larger vessels at remote sites is being developed. Whilst the expedition cruise vessels visiting the Islands are operating to high environmental standards as members of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO), vessels with 400+ passengers may not become members of IAATO, due to Article III of the organization's Bylaws which limits the number of passengers. These larger capacity vessels are therefore not subject to the same self-regulating guidelines. The implications of increasing passenger numbers in the islands are discussed with regard to pressures on both the wildlife and vegetation. 3. This study outlines the need for an island-wide approach and a legislative framework to ensure high standards of operation are adhered to within the Islands from all visiting vessels and that accurate information is provided to all visitors along with a suitable code of conduct. The collection, collation and analysis of visitor data to identify trends and implement appropriate management strategies, and further research into the potential impacts of tourism on wildlife in the Falklands are also recommended. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.