A MULTI-PORT CRUISE REGION: DYNAMICS AND HIERARCHIES IN THE MED

Abstract

The study generates knowledge on the patterns, structures, and geography of growth of the cruise port industry in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas. The analysis of the passenger movements in the period 2005-2014, as provided by cruise port authorities, details the port hierarchy and reveals transformation of the region from a cluster of port destinations hosting a certain thousands of cruise passengers to a multi-port cruise region accommodating several millions of passenger movements. An adapted application of the ‘multi-port region’ concept, originally developed in cargo port studies extends research to intra-region dynamics and exposes previously unexplored imbalances that co-exist with the overall growth of a commonly seen and homogeneous single cruise region. The picture completes with the examination of the unbalanced trends in the major 20 cruise ports in the Med, and the levels of market concentration. The findings call for similar analyses, and not least comparisons, with other regions. With Asia appearing in the strategies of cruise lines as a deployment region and a source market, and the Med experiencing volatile trends, they are also practically helpful for those involved in the development and management of cruise ports.