COVID-19 and the global cruise ship industry: potential recovery and reformation pathways
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/bgss-2022-0002Keywords
COVID-19, cruise ships, tourism, recovery, reformationAbstract
The cruise ship industry was one of the fastest growing subsectors of the tourism industry before the advent of COVID-19. This paper examines the prospects and recovery of the cruise ship industry from the devastating impacts of COVID-19 on the industry. The study relied mostly on event study and secondary data, including survey data from authoritative sources, data from representative organisations, news reports and academic literature. The results show that the industry exhibited high levels of customer loyalty and resilience to the COVID-19-induced downturn. The industry also adopted additional protocols to improve public health on board and protect the health and safety of customers, crews and visited communities. However, continued travel restrictions at both source and destination markets, as well as the continued resurgence of the virus and related uncertainties, threaten the recovery of the industry. Mandatory vaccination of both crew and passengers needs to be considered.
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