Sustainable Cruise Tourism: Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Areas

The cruise shipping industry has existed for centuries. However, sustainability is a relatively new trend that could make a big difference and someday impact the industry. A growing body of research on sustainable cruise tourism includes studying changes among industry stakeholders, internal and external processes, and more. However, until now, there have been no comprehensive and systematic reviews of the academic literature on this topic and proposals for future research areas. The sample for our research consists of 56 articles structured into the following themes and subthemes: (1) corporate social responsibility (public interaction and emissions management); (2) territory management (collaboration with stakeholders and infrastructure development); (3) training in sustainable behavior (passengers, ship personnel, and other stakeholders). These themes fully explore the various use cases for sustainable cruises, forming a conceptual framework for understanding trends for the industry's sustainable development. We direct the attention of other researchers to the following areas for further research: GHG emissions of cruising; biodiversity impacts; quantitative understanding of the target audience and their participation in sustainability financing; in-depth understanding of the reasons for cooperation between stakeholders; identifying the true motivation for participation in sustainable development; the long-term trends; and how the shipping industry is adapting to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Automated summary

Sustainability is a new trend in the cruise shipping industry that requires further research on the changes and processes impacting the industry. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive and systematic reviews of academic literature on this topic. Our research sample includes 56 articles, covering themes such as corporate social responsibility, territory management, and sustainable behavior training. These themes explore various use cases for sustainable cruise tourism and provide a conceptual framework for understanding industry trends. We identify several areas for further research.