Posted: January 24th, 2024
Research on Cruise Supply Chain in China
Research on Cruise Supply Chain in China
The cruise industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the global tourism market, attracting millions of passengers every year. However, behind the glamorous cruise experience, there is a complex and dynamic supply chain that involves various stakeholders, such as cruise operators, shipbuilders, ports, destinations, suppliers, and regulators. Understanding the cruise supply chain (CSC) is essential for enhancing the competitiveness and sustainability of the cruise industry.
In this blog post, we will explore the concept of the CSC and its characteristics, focusing on the empirical case of China’s cruise industry. China is an emerging and promising market for cruising, with a huge potential demand and a strong government support. However, China also faces many challenges and opportunities in developing its own CSC, such as building domestic cruise ship design and construction capabilities, improving cruise port infrastructure and services, diversifying cruise products and destinations, and strengthening cruise regulation and management.
The Concept of the CSC
The CSC can be defined as “the network of organizations that are involved in the provision of cruise products and services to meet the needs and expectations of cruise passengers” (Zhou et al., 2022). The CSC consists of three main stages: pre-cruise, on-cruise, and post-cruise. Each stage involves different entities that perform various functions and activities to create value for the cruise passengers.
The pre-cruise stage includes the entities that are involved in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of cruise ships, such as shipbuilders, equipment suppliers, classification societies, and repair yards. The pre-cruise stage also includes the entities that are involved in the marketing, sales, distribution, and booking of cruise products and services, such as cruise operators, travel agents, online platforms, and intermediaries.
The on-cruise stage includes the entities that are involved in the operation and delivery of cruise products and services during the voyage, such as cruise operators, crew members, onboard service providers, entertainment providers, food and beverage suppliers, waste management companies, and security agencies. The on-cruise stage also includes the entities that are involved in the provision of port services and destination attractions to cruise passengers, such as port authorities, terminal operators, ground handlers, local tour operators, destination management organizations, and local communities.
The post-cruise stage includes the entities that are involved in the evaluation and feedback of cruise products and services after the voyage, such as cruise passengers, cruise operators, travel agents, online platforms, intermediaries, regulators, and researchers.
The Characteristics of the CSC
The CSC has some distinctive characteristics that differentiate it from other types of supply chains. Some of these characteristics are:
– The CSC is customer-centric. The ultimate goal of the CSC is to satisfy the needs and expectations of cruise passengers who seek a memorable vacation experience. Therefore,