Gender and sustainability in cruise tourism market

Cruise tourism can be defined as a form of travelling, involving an all-inclusive holiday on a cruise ship, with a specific itinerary. During recent decades, the cruise market has seen an enormous growth in passenger numbers, while an increasing number of new cruise destinations around the world are emerging. The diversification of the cruise product has been accompanied by variation in the composition of the clientele relating to gender, generation group, ethnicity and income. Due to the constant increase in numbers of cruise tourists, ports and destinations play a crucial role in itineraries’ development, which are designed on the basis of market and operational considerations. In their efforts to achieve the highest level of passengers’ experience and gender preferences, cruise companies introduce itineraries including attractive destinations. For instance, with the number of female travelers growing, female centered cruises create a female empowerment community at sea through female-centered itineraries, while allowing travelers to experience the world around them, as well as famous feminist landmarks. This study examines the cruise market and its potential, with a particular emphasis on the clientele gender. To this extent, the study focuses on the various reasons behind a cruise vacation by gender and whether the length of cruise vacation differs between the gender. In addition, the study highlights that despite the economic benefits enjoyed by the cruise host destinations, much remains to be done to balance the rapidly growing demand for cruising with its impacts and environmental values.