Exploring potential cruisers behavior based on a preference model: the Japanese cruise market

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze the preferences of potential Japanese cruise ship tourists and identify the factors influencing their participation in cruise ship tourism. In the analysis, preference for cruise ports in East Asia is also examined. Design/methodology/approach The behavioral model of potential cruiser is developed through a mixed ordered logit approach. The data are collected by means of the stated preference method with the application of a Web-based questionnaire. Multiple answers are collected from each respondent. Hence, panel effects between answers are considered so as to obtain a robust model. Findings The results show that Nagasaki and Hong Kong ports are preferred, and other domestic ports, namely, Kobe, Kagoshima, and Naha are also relatively popular places to visit. However, potential Japanese cruisers are reluctant to visit two South Korean destinations which are frequently selected as cruise lines by avoiding Cabotage rule. Besides, shorter cruise duration and lower prices increase the possibility of participation in cruise tourism, particularly for working people. Retirees tend to have less interest in cruise tourism. However, Japanese-related services will increase retirees’ intentions to participate in cruise tourism. Research limitations/implications This study attempts to analyze potential cruisers’ behavior toward cruise ship tourism in Japan and discusses how to increase the number of cruisers participating in cruise ship tourism. In this vein, repeat behavior should also be analyzed. Repeat behavior contributes to the maintenance and increase in cruisers in Japan. Originality/value There is no study on potential cruiser’s behavior analysis in Japan which is the emerging country as cruise market. Thus, the number of potential cruisers is expected to be high. This study reveals that potential cruisers’ preferences on cruise ship services (e.g. duration, price, on board services, etc.), which are separately analysed for working ages and retirees. Besides, preferences on port of calls in East Asian context are revealed. These results are useful for cruise ship industries, especially for cruise lines.

Segmenting Cruise Consumers by Motivation for an Emerging Market: A Case of China

“…In order to minimize any possible bias, we may conduct a large-scale data collection in different cities in China so that we can generalize our study in the forthcoming years. Finally, we may investigate potential cruisers’ behavior on the basis of a preference model in the Chinese cruise market in a future study as we found that few studies have been undertaken in cruise tourism ( Kawasaki and Lau, 2020 ).…”

“…Existing studies on the motivations of cruise ship tourists have a strong regional bias, focusing mainly on tourists from regions in which the cruise tourism industry is more developed (e.g., North America, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Northern Europe, Singapore, and Australia). Only a small number of studies consider emerging cruise travel markets (e.g., Fan et al, 2015 ; Lemmetyinen et al, 2016 ; Sun et al, 2018 ; Kawasaki and Lau, 2020 ). Extant studies have found that cruise tourists’ travel motivations vary by region.…”

Data analytics for fuel consumption management in maritime transportation: Status and perspectives

“…Seaborne transport is the most energy-efficient mode of transportation, and it forms the backbone of international trade and global supply chains (Christiansen et al, 2004;Kawasaki and Lau, 2020). According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), more than three fourths of merchandise traded globally by volume is carried by sea (UNCTAD, 2019).…”

Linking travel behavior and tourism literature: Investigating the impacts of travel satisfaction on destination satisfaction and revisit intention

“…Findings show that self-drive visitors (visitors who drive on routes for tourism) value the availability of road facilities (Wu et al, 2018), roadside facilities (Denstadli & Jacobsen, 2011), and scenery (Wu et al, 2018) on the route as important determinants of tourism satisfaction. Similarly, cruise tourists were found to consider the duration and cost of cruising (Kawasaki & Lau, 2020), the facilities available onboard (such as Wi-Fi, currency exchange, and shopping) (Di Vaio et al, 2021), and crowding in the cruise (Sanz-Blas et al, 2019) as influencers of cruising satisfaction and loyalty. Overall, managers of 'transport as tourism' destinations acknowledge the significant role of transportation facilities, services, and experiences for sustained and repeated tourism and put forward their efforts in investing in transportation facilities and services to improve visitors' transportation experience.…”