Cruise ports: a strategic nexus between regions and global lines—evidence from the Mediterranean

Tourism global value chains connect strategically to local operations; in the case of cruise lines, where most part of the experience happens in a ‘placeless’ environment, cruise ports embody this singular but fundamental connection. However, a third stakeholder should be taken into account in cruise product design, and it is the destination region. This article introduces an analytic framework that connects the global structure of cruise value chains to the regional articulation of land-based cruise services, and reflects upon strategies by which local agents can enhance the generation of value at the local level. After discussing the possible strategies of port regionalization, we present a general framework to assess the competitive position of a cruise destination. A case study of Catalonia and its three main ports is used as an illustration.