Final argumentative essay assignment
Journey de Wit – 192291 – ET01
Does Cruise Tourism Offer Economic Benefits to the Local Communities of the Destination Visited?
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Cruise tourism is becoming increasingly popular. Cruise tourism is a form of tourism where people take
a trip by cruise ship. This is a luxurious form of travel. On board cruise ships, in addition to basic
amenities, there are many luxurious facilities such as cinema, swimming pool, stores, bars, casinos and
many more. During a cruise, stops are made to take an excursion to tourist destinations. A lot of people
leave the boat in limited areas for short periods of time. Most ports receive small contributions from
using the port as a cruise destination, and cruise tourism provides few real jobs and business
opportunities for the locals of the cities being visited. Thus, cruise tourism does not provide economic
benefits, but economic disadvantages to the local communities of the visited destination (Stainton,
2020).
Turning first to the drawbacks of cruise tourism, the local businesses earn little to nothing from the
cruise tourists who come ashore during their trip. As Haar (2015) explains this is because food, drinks
and other goods are offered on board. Tourists pay for the cruise and all sorts of things can be included.
Also, the tourists do not sleep in the city, but on the boat. So the locals only earn from these tourists
when they, for example, buy souvenirs or eat at a local restaurant. Also, a British study shows that at
least 21 percent of cruise tourists never go ashore so do not spend money there on transportation and
in restaurants or stores.
In addition, the cruise lines also do not contribute to the local economy. Cruise lines do not supply
their ships with local products and if they do, prices are kept to a minimum by the bargaining power
of the large (cruise) companies (Jennings & Ulrik, 2016).
Secondly, the cruise lines are taking away opportunities for the local people of the places visited.
According to Brida & Zapata (2015), more than 50% of the (sponsored) activities that take place ashore
are sold on board by the cruise lines, while local operators receive only 25% to 50% of the full price.
Cruise lines also recommend stores and restaurants, but in order to do so, these companies have to
hand over thousands of dollars to the cruise lines. Thus, a lot of economic leakage still takes place
(Jennings & Ulrik, 2016). On many cruise ships there are also all kinds of stores. Just like in airports,
these stores are duty free. Of course, the duty-free stores run by the cruise lines, shoot their prices far
below those of local entrepreneurs, so cruise tourists will choose to buy these products on board. (H.
Haar, 2015)
Also, some cruise lines buy land or even entire islands to collect all the profits from passengers' visits
(Jennings & Ulrik, 2016). This is of course to the detriment of the local population of those destinations.
For example Royal Carribbean has leased a coastline for years from the government of an
impoverished country that is very much affected by natural disasters, political strife and economic
depravity. Thus, the population is completely excluded from the economic benefits and the landscape
is also exploited. Once the cruise line sees that the land or island is no longer attractive enough for
cruise tourism and it therefore needs to be refurbished, they sell the land back and the local population
will have to solve these problems. While these countries already suffer from poverty and natural
disasters, cruise tourism only makes this worse. And that despite the fact that the local population also
earns nothing from this (Brida & Zapata-Aguirre, 2009).
Finally, Cruise tourism can lead to destruction of natural and cultural resources. Seraphin (2018) writes
in his article that, due to the cruise ships docking in ports in Venice, there is a considerable wave action
Journey de Wit – 192291 – ET01
Does Cruise Tourism Offer Economic Benefits to the Local Communities of the Destination Visited?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cruise tourism is becoming increasingly popular. Cruise tourism is a form of tourism where people take
a trip by cruise ship. This is a luxurious form of travel. On board cruise ships, in addition to basic
amenities, there are many luxurious facilities such as cinema, swimming pool, stores, bars, casinos and
many more. During a cruise, stops are made to take an excursion to tourist destinations. A lot of people
leave the boat in limited areas for short periods of time. Most ports receive small contributions from
using the port as a cruise destination, and cruise tourism provides few real jobs and business
opportunities for the locals of the cities being visited. Thus, cruise tourism does not provide economic
benefits, but economic disadvantages to the local communities of the visited destination (Stainton,
2020).
Turning first to the drawbacks of cruise tourism, the local businesses earn little to nothing from the
cruise tourists who come ashore during their trip. As Haar (2015) explains this is because food, drinks
and other goods are offered on board. Tourists pay for the cruise and all sorts of things can be included.
Also, the tourists do not sleep in the city, but on the boat. So the locals only earn from these tourists
when they, for example, buy souvenirs or eat at a local restaurant. Also, a British study shows that at
least 21 percent of cruise tourists never go ashore so do not spend money there on transportation and
in restaurants or stores.
In addition, the cruise lines also do not contribute to the local economy. Cruise lines do not supply
their ships with local products and if they do, prices are kept to a minimum by the bargaining power
of the large (cruise) companies (Jennings & Ulrik, 2016).
Secondly, the cruise lines are taking away opportunities for the local people of the places visited.
According to Brida & Zapata (2015), more than 50% of the (sponsored) activities that take place ashore
are sold on board by the cruise lines, while local operators receive only 25% to 50% of the full price.
Cruise lines also recommend stores and restaurants, but in order to do so, these companies have to
hand over thousands of dollars to the cruise lines. Thus, a lot of economic leakage still takes place
(Jennings & Ulrik, 2016). On many cruise ships there are also all kinds of stores. Just like in airports,
these stores are duty free. Of course, the duty-free stores run by the cruise lines, shoot their prices far
below those of local entrepreneurs, so cruise tourists will choose to buy these products on board. (H.
Haar, 2015)
Also, some cruise lines buy land or even entire islands to collect all the profits from passengers' visits
(Jennings & Ulrik, 2016). This is of course to the detriment of the local population of those destinations.
For example Royal Carribbean has leased a coastline for years from the government of an
impoverished country that is very much affected by natural disasters, political strife and economic
depravity. Thus, the population is completely excluded from the economic benefits and the landscape
is also exploited. Once the cruise line sees that the land or island is no longer attractive enough for
cruise tourism and it therefore needs to be refurbished, they sell the land back and the local population
will have to solve these problems. While these countries already suffer from poverty and natural
disasters, cruise tourism only makes this worse. And that despite the fact that the local population also
earns nothing from this (Brida & Zapata-Aguirre, 2009).
Finally, Cruise tourism can lead to destruction of natural and cultural resources. Seraphin (2018) writes
in his article that, due to the cruise ships docking in ports in Venice, there is a considerable wave action
