The Future of Cruise Ship Tourism Industry; The Challenges of Cruising Market and Operations Management

The world cruise industry is a niche type of tourism and is one of the most fastest-growingand dynamic segments of the tourism industry with dramatic growth. The growth of cruisetourism is phenomenal. The revival of cruising has taken place in the last four decades, andtoday it forms a small but growing part in the global tourism industry. Since its beginning inthe 1960s, the modern cruising industry has rapidly evolved from mainly exclusive journeysfor the rich to popular vacations for everyone. The number of cruise ship passengers hasgrown nearly twice as fast as world international tourist arrivals over the last decade. A cruiseis defined as ‗to make a trip by sea in a liner for pleasure, usually calling at a number ofports‘. It is characterized by the ship being similar to a mobile resort, which transportspassengers from place to place. The cruise market is evolving. It is becoming multifaceted,with an emphasis on targeting and market segmentation and continually identifyingopportunities for growth and new developments. Correspondingly, the cruise product is alsobecoming more diverse as operators continue to seek new ways of meeting passenger needsand satisfying expectations. Cruise products are described to establish an overview of what isavailable and why it is provided.The cruise ship in the twenty-first century still relies on people for the critical part of theservice product and in many ways the human element will continue to make the differencebetween achieving a high-quality outcome and being ordinary. Thus the future of cruisinglooks bright. Indeed it is one of the star growth industries of the early 21st century and expertsexpect this growth to continue. In this regard, the present study identifies a number ofinterrelated issues connected to the cruise industry management and marketing and examinesthe elements of cruising to highlight critical factors connected to its current status as asignificant and growing part of the tourism and leisure field. Historic trends in cruising reflectupon in order to examine the way that changes have occurred over time and to understandwhy these changes have come about.

Keywords:

Cruise Industry , Management , Cruising Market , Sustainability , Globalization