1st Edition

Cruise Tourism in the Caribbean Selling Sunshine

Edited By Martha Honey Copyright 2019
    180 Pages 30 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    180 Pages 30 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    This book explores the lessons learned from half a century of Caribbean cruise tourism; one of the most popular and profitable sectors of the tourism industry.

    The modern-day cruise industry dates from the 1960s when the three major cruise lines, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian, set up shop in Florida and began selling winter cruises to the Caribbean targeting American retirees. For geopolitical reasons, the US initially excluded cruises to Cuba. This changed in 2016, following the historic Obama-Castro agreement to move towards diplomatic, trade and travel normalization. Cuba quickly became the Caribbean’s fastest growing cruise destination.

    This book considers the limited economic benefits of cruise tourism, its environmental and social impacts, and the effects of climate change, and "overtourism." Based on this analysis and case studies of key Caribbean and Mediterranean destinations, this book cautions against overdependence on cruise tourism and outlines reforms needed to bring more benefits and equity to Caribbean countries. It will be valuable to professionals, businesses, development agencies, NGOs, and academics interested in a sustainable cruise industry and the economic well-being of Caribbean island nations.

    1. Introduction

    Martha Honey

    2. History and Growth of Cruise Tourism

    Martha Honey

    3. The Economic Model and Impacts of Cruise Tourism

    Martha Honey

    4. Environmental "Footprint" of the Cruise Industry

    Martha Honey and Samantha Hogenson Bray

    5. Cruise Tourism Impacts on Historic Cities

    Jannelle Wilkins and Martha Honey

    6. Cuba: A Long and Mixed Engagement with Cruise Tourism

    José Luis Perelló and Rafael Betancourt

    7. The Dominican Republic: A Caribbean Tourist Mecca

    Jannelle Wilkins

    8. Costa Rica: Cruise Tourism Competes with Ecotourism

    Jannelle Wilkins

    9. Bermuda: An Important Experiment in Managing Cruise Tourism

    Martha Honey

    10. Conclusions: Lessons Learned and Recommendations

    Martha Honey

     

    Biography

    Martha Honey is Executive Director of the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), USA.