TABLE OF CONTENTS By the end of the chapter the reader should be able to:
Define the cruise destination
Identify critical factors relating to the design of a cruise itinerary
Examine different methods for analyzing and evaluating destinations
Understand why ports and destinations are successful for cruises
Consider operations and planning for shore excursions or tours
In the previous chapter, cruise geography and travel geography were examined (Burton, 1995) alongwith factors such as seasonality and optimum conditions for cruising. Sales and marketing and the supply and servicing of ships were also considered as factors that are important for designing itineraries. This section will examine options for analyzing destinations for itineraries.
This is a relatively complex question to answer. Davidson and Maitland (1997) present a model that describes the interplay between a "generating region," the place that the tourist will come from, and "destination regions," the places tourists will go to, linked by a "transit region," the place where the tourist spends time before arriving at the destination. In this version of a tourist system, potential tourists within a generating region are subject to a variety of "push" factors, such as disposable income, leisure time, motivation, ambition, and the presence of demographic change. Information is channeled back to the generating region from the destination region, developing "local" perceptions and stimulating further visits.
For the cruise industry, noting the significant changes in recent years in terms of the construction of larger vessels with enhanced facilities, the key destination...
