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ABSTRACT
Cruise tourism is a sector of the global tourism industry that is enjoying rapid growth. New itineraries and ports-of-call are developing to cater to the growing demand and attract growing market interest. The perceptions of local residents as a major stakeholder are crucial to determine the success of future tourism development. Studies of residents’ perceptions towards tourism development are widespread in the tourism literature but few focuses on the special nature of cruise tourism. Through in-depth interviews with local residents in Esperance, Western Australia, it was found that residents have a generally positive perception of, and are supportive towards, the presence of cruise tourism in the town. The findings also reveal resident dissatisfaction with the current organisation and management of cruise ship visits to the town and with the cruise lines conduct towards local tourism business. The results of this study help us to understand the impact of cruise tourism on local residents. Understanding dissenting attitudes will allow the stakeholder groups responsible for cruise tourism development in Esperance and other similar ports-of-call to take action to mitigate negative sentiments within their community as well as formulate a localised strategy for the better management of present and future cruise visits.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes on contributors
Robyn McCaughey has worked within the hospitality, tourism, and retail industries for thirty years, including eleven years at sea onboard cruise ships. She currently consults to business proprietors in these industries and is reviewing literature relating to cruise ship tourism and development in order to develop a PhD research topic.
Iris Mao is currently working at School of Business & Law at Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia. Her research interests lie in consumer behaviour in hospitality and tourism industry, destination marketing and management. Her recent research publications are about outbound Chinese tourism and cruise ship tourism topics.
Ross Dowling is the Foundation Professor of Tourism, School of Business & Law at Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia. His research interests lie in cruise ship tourism, geo-tourism and ecotourism. He is an advisor to the Australian Cruise Association, co-founder, the Cruise Research Society, and co-editor of the book Cruise Ship Tourism. He is a regular speaker on cruise ships around the globe.