Developing a Model for Assessing Taiwan as a Cruise Tourism Destination

Developing a Model for Assessing Taiwan as a Cruise Tourism Destination

Cruise tourism has grown in its popularity significantly in Taiwan. However, much remains to be done in enhancing its capacity to attract more cruise ships sailing to and from Taiwan as well as more foreign cruise passengers cruising to and from Taiwan. This study represents an initial attempt to develop a framework for the continuous monitoring and evaluating of Taiwan’s competitiveness as a cruise tourism hub in the Asian region in comparison to other Asian alternative destinations. Drawn upon the most relevant literature, a list of 22 attributes determining the competitiveness of a cruise destination were generated and classified into three dimensions based on Ritchie & Crouch’s (2003) conceptual model of destination competitiveness/sustainability: resources and attractors, marketing and management strategies, and external environments, which were further examined at two levels: port and destination. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to determine the relative importance of the pre-identified sector-specific determinants of destination competitiveness, this study could help prioritize areas for sustainable development and evaluate the competitiveness of Taiwan as a regional cruise tourism hub. So far there has been insufficient investigation carried out to determine the underlying dimensions of destination competitiveness in the cruise tourism context generally and in Taiwanese context in particular. This study with an attempt to fill this literature gap, therefore, is both timely and worthwhile. By sharing the Taiwan experience, the findings of this study may assist other Asian destinations to develop and promote cruise tourism as a strategic objective in their national policies.