A Comparison of Residents' Perceptions in Two Cruise Ports in the Mediterranean Sea

This paper examines residents' perceptions of a wide set of externalities exerted by the development of cruise tourism. The research involved data collection in two ports located in the two largest Mediterranean islands, Sicily and Sardinia, during the summer peak of the cruise season 2011. These two cruise destinations are especially interesting as they are characterized by a distinct life cycle. The empirical findings show that the two groups of residents have statistically equal perceptions on cruise activity in their destination. A correspondence analysis shows that residents have an overall positive attitude on the development of cruise tourism with respect to social, cultural and economic impacts. Nevertheless, they also feel that cruise activity has a negative impact, especially on the environment. Heterogeneity in occupation is explicitly taken into account. These findings provide directions for local policy‐makers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Segmenting Cruise Passengers Visiting Uruguay: a Factor–Cluster Analysis

The study aims to provide a better understanding of cruise travel from passengers' characteristics and experience in two ports of call in Uruguay. A multivariate market segmentation analysis was used, on the basis of 5151 survey data collected during the 2008–2009 and 2009–2010 seasons. A correspondence analysis revealed the underlying latent factors in the set of variables. A hierarchical clustering from correspondence analysis segmented the sample into homogeneous groups. Finally, a decision tree highlighted the most predictive variables for each cluster. The study identifies distinct segments by country of residence, occupation, locations visited in Uruguay, satisfaction and previous visits to the country. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

后三峡工程阶段库区游船转型发展研究

三峡黄金航道奠定了游船的主导地位,进入后三峡工程阶段,库区江面变宽,航行条件改善,三峡游船需要进行转型,谋求新的增长空间。文章探讨了长江三峡游船的地位和作用,回顾分析了三峡游船发展的历程,剖析了三峡游船现存的问题,认为后三峡工程阶段库区可重点开发豪华游船、普通游船、旅游快艇、高端游艇和滚装船等五大游船产品,最后就三峡游船公司经营、营销网路、线路编排、管理措施、岸线资源、品牌建设、游船活动、船岸联营和游船产品等提出了具体对策。     

Providing Ecotourism Excursions for Cruise Passengers

The aim of this paper is to argue that destinations can do more to offer coastal ecotourism experiences for cruise passengers, and in doing so they may secure a more sustainable product. An analysis of shore-side excursions currently available to P&O passengers in the Caribbean is presented. Excursions are classified against textbook tourism-type definitions. Time constraints imposed by cruise operators and an emphasis on selling rather than education are suggested as key factors that mean the limited number of existing ecotourism excursions were categorised as ‘soft’ rather than ‘hard’ ecotourism. Solutions demand concerted effort from all parties. Flexibility from cruise operators; political will and product development from destinations, and investment of time and energy from the tourists themselves. Ultimately, ecotourism excursions must embrace brand management, creating and delivering well-defined promises, so that cruise passengers can make intelligence-led decisions. In the Caribbean this requires a paradigm shift by the cruise operators in order to establish a meaningful and effective dialogue with groups such as the Caribbean Tourism Organisation.     

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) Vera Rebollo, J. F. and Ivars Baidal, J. A. 2003. Measuring sustainability in a mass tourist destination: Pressures, perceptions and policy responses in Torrevieja, Spain. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 11: 181–203. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar] 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.     

Taming wicked problems: towards a resolution of tourism access to Traditional Owner lands in the Kimberley region,Australia

This paper names and describes the longstanding issue of tourism access to the Kimberley coast region in northwest Australia. Tourism access is a problem because it occurs without appropriate permissions from the Traditional Owners. The granting of access permission is a fundamental component of the local Traditional Owner ontology, or concept of being. Tourism activities cannot be culturally sustainable without appropriate Traditional Owner permissions. We argue that this seemingly simple issue is a “wicked problem” and must be recognised as such to facilitate its “taming” to create a culturally sustainable local tourism industry. The paper first examines the cultural and historical context, establishing a more nuanced understanding of the problem. Framed in Rittel and Webber's definition of a wicked problem, it then describes its complex and intercultural nature, highlighting repeated and continuing efforts and failures by key parties to address it, linked to an ingrained lack of political will. We conclude that operators could take ownership of the wicked problem and contribute to taming it by proactively engaging in a direct relationship with Traditional Owners based on transformational learning. The paper contributes to tourism planning studies, to the concept of the Just Destination and to indigenous tourism understanding.     

Enhancing Luxury Cruise Liner Operators' Competitive Advantage: A Study Aimed at Improving Customer Loyalty and Future Patronage

The services marketing literature focuses on the measurement of service quality and its impact and consequences on businesses. How service quality affects behavioral outcomes such as repeat purchases and loyalty continues to be debated. This study examines how service quality operates in the cruise liner industry—an industry that is now facing overcapacity. Based on data collected from travelers of a luxury cruise liner in Singapore, this study analyzed relevant dimensions of service quality and their relationships on overall satisfaction level. Additionally, it investigated details of cruise travelers' behavioral outcomes. The analysis revealed gaps in several service quality attributes. Overall customer satisfaction had a relatively strong relationship with all the three variables of behavioral intentions. The implications of the results of this study to the services marketing literature in general and to the cruise liner industry in particular are discussed.     

海洋经济背景下的浙江邮轮旅游产业化研究

浙江的宁波、嘉兴、台州、温州、舟山港口城市大多具有接待邮轮旅游的经验。浙江发展邮轮旅游产业具有区位好、深水港多、旅游资源丰富、消费潜力大的优势,但也有服务设施不足、人才缺乏的劣势,面临国家大力发展邮轮经济、国外邮轮公司拓展浙江市场的机遇和周边城市竞争的挑战。SWOT分析可知,浙江发展邮轮旅游产业潜力巨大。国内外经验表明,浙江邮轮旅游业的产业化需要一系列的动力机制,包括：启动机制是政府主导,主导驱动机制是企业运作和旅游精品塑造,辅助驱动机制是科学促销。浙江在着重打造动力机制的同时,还需要综合的发展对策：政府引导,启动浙江邮轮旅游产业化;整合资源,合理布局浙江邮轮旅游产业;打造精品,以旅游产品带动邮轮旅游产业;培育企业,打造浙江邮轮旅游产业链;开拓市场,扩大浙江邮轮旅游产业的支撑面;培养人才,掌舵浙江邮轮旅游产业。     

Negative Effects of Perceived Crowding on Travelers’ Identification with Cruise Brand

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of perceived crowding on cruise ships on passengers’ perceived luxury brand value and brand identification. Based on the results of previous studies, we propose some causal relationships and test our proposed hypotheses using empirical data collected from 342 luxury cruise passengers. The results indicate that perceived crowding has a negative effect on perceived luxury brand value, thereby hindering brand identification. In addition, a psychological variable – the need for uniqueness – moderated the relationship between perceived luxury brand value and brand identification. We conclude by delineating important theoretical and managerial implications.