Perception and attitude of British customers towards cruise travel - Essay Example

Perception and attitude of British s towards cruise travel Tourism management is the control and handling of travel for vacation purposes by foreigners or locals to places within ones country or location. The cruise industry mostly focuses on those visitors that use the cruise ship for travel purposes or tourism purposes in a region. The main focus in this paper is to discuss the perceptions and attitudes of the British customers toward cruise travel in the tourism sector (Weaver 366). Britain has a coastline that covers an area of about 12429 km2 so perhaps it is not exactly surprising for them to have a seafaring tradition. It is norm for them. The first of the cruise line industry was traced back in the mid19th Century with Brunel’s ss Great Western being the first to cruise the waters from Bristol headed towards New York in 1838 (Hobson 462). Nowadays this is a global trend. The highest demand in global for over twenty years now has been to go on a cruise holiday by many people. The vessels and the environs within which they have been made have become an extremely valuable experience especially for the tourists. That is what they refer to as the holiday experience (Marti 100). There is a serious economic downside of this kind of tourism. In 2008 alone, the United Kingdom accounted for approximately two thousand two hundred and sixty two million pounds on the expenditure that is incurred in this business alone. The expenditure is quite high thus, the tour is also relatively expensive. This has been a setback because it also underpins approximately forty nine thousand jobs in the United Kingdom (Sykes 103). The recent trends in the industry have stated that the cruise line industry has grown a great deal as compared to it about ten years ago. There has been a tremendous demand for cruise holidays in Britain. This trend is quite global with the demand being highest in North America (Cooper 359). The Mediterranean and Baltic are the two most prominent stamping grounds in Britain for cruise liners. There are a number of days sailing away from the shores of Britain. However, there has been a growth in need for ‘turn round’ traffic at UK ports this has not caused a commotion as more tourists are ready to extend their stay so that they do not have to book flights in return due to the traffic. They have found this hectic especially because it may mean for them to book from a new embarkation port (Miller 94). The maritime weather and climate in Britain is not truly a setback when it the cruise ships involved in the travel are large vessels and especially since most of these vessels start their journey in the United Kingdom ports and still end them there. Summer time is when there is the majority of the cruising around the beautiful British Isles. This is when the weather is quite favorable for cruise travel. A major concern over time has been the lending of the smaller vessels by Britain. This is a serious risk especially since the ports have shallow waters that are likely to be disrupted in case of any summer squall that may occurs (Lingard 32). The passenger embarkations at UK that are the majority is mainly the residents of Britain themselves. The overseas guests that take the cruise ships from the ports enjoy an incomparable experience with access for just about every part they may wish to travel and tour. For fantastic pre and post cruise travel extension, London is close to Dover, Southampton and not forgetting Harwich. This is notable because it has played a vital role in job creations and generation of income for some people in the region. This works across a great spectrum of businesses that tourism related that not many would notice was a result of the cruise ship travel in the region (Markham 45). The weakness of sterling pound provides a greater incentive for cruise lines to consider London as an extension destination due to the position of the city (Moutinho 175). Since this is a condensed island with convenient transport infrastructure and a number of places with attractions that are culture and or heritage based to visit, makes the onshore excursions for the cruise visitors that make a stopover at UK ports an easy task. The only challenge so far is the variant size of the cruise lines and the shallow ports that may not cater for the growing number of cruise lines in the region. The economic impacts of the cruise line industry are that it has brought about positive spill over in terms of job opportunities and income generation apart from it being a source of foreign exchange for the residents of the region. In 2008, the European cruise industry had direct economic impact of about fourteen nine hundred thousand billion pounds. This was a significant figure that contributed a lot to the work force in the cruise line and related industries (Passenger Shipping Association 3). However, while the global trend is clearly focusing towards bigger and larger vessels, which offer the cruise line industry greater economic benefits, the opportunity balance for Britain is more inclined toward rather smaller vessels which are capable of entering the coastline that have shallow ports that cannot accommodate the larger vessels. The economic outcomes from attracting smaller cruise liners are likely to be geographically more dispersed across Britain than the very largest liners as the number of UK ports these can visit are slightly fewer in number and most cases they are just points for the vessels to turn and not to stop. Moreover, more geographically related benefits, for example those relating to Southampton can allow for a clearer recognition that the cruise line industry is a generator of income and benefit the economy in undeniably many ways (Carnival Corporation 8). A high risk for Britain being inclined more to the smaller than larger ships as a destination for cruise itineraries is that the preference for ever larger vessels is showing no sign of abate of these ships that are ideal for cruising the British Isles and might diminish in a few years to come. The cruise line business has tremendous growth prospects opportunities come at a high cost, but these particular opportunities are quite costly and it must ensure sufficient investment in the constructions of the berth. This may also include investing in the latest vessels that are able to counter the growing cruise sector (Haller 95). It is essential as well to invest in ancillary port facilities. Some of these cruise lines are focusing on making vessels that may increase profitability. The focus on increasing the numbers does not lie only on top notch ports but also the cruise ships classy and the local infrastructure must have the capabilities of ensuring efficient movement of the tourists who embark at the ports. Alongside that, there should be sufficient provision for services that include both the upkeep of the ship and to feed and water the payloads that belong to the ships (Peisley 61). Moving inland is vital for the local businesses and people in charge (authorities) to cooperate in order to ensure that the cruise lines have successful shore excursions; that is satisfy the customers and to ensure operational efficacy. It is evident that the British frequently cruise the British isle and that in every five, three are always repeat customers because they enjoy the experience greatly. It has been noted therefore that the cruise line industry has truly loyal customers. Thus, cruise line owners have now focused on designing the itineraries to suit this particular loyal clientele. Considerations such including the Irish ports as a destination have been made this may be beneficial as well to the passengers and the cruise lines. The British have embarked into expanding the destination, and this has been a prime consideration that may eventually be put in place to satisfy the ever growing cruise line customer base (Cessford 29). Competition at the ports and their hinterlands has become extremely rampant. There is a dire need for them to offer extremely attractive shore excursion that can meet up to world class standards. These have to financially feasible too (Scull 8). Cruise line owners and managers want destinations that are profitable and give their customers satisfaction. Delivering on these lines will enable develop Britain for cruise travel by executives of cruise lines who have always viewed Britain as a mere gateway for plying the Mediterranean and Baltic seas (Crucemar 71). Many parts in Britain are not distanced from the sea; therefore it is remarkably easy for the locals to cruise in the vessels that are easily accommodated by their ports. The various off shore excursions have also increased the desire of some British who have not cruised the isles to develop an interest in it. For instance, summer in Newport was welcomed with its first cruise liner that had shore excursions this included visiting Dyffryn Gardens in the Vale Glamorgan the, Wales Millennium Centre and Cardiff Castle(Wood 455). People have written about these cruise travels, and that people are enthusiastic about them and they want to further their visits to places that are beyond their imaginations. The UK residents and visitors have enjoyed cruising the British coastlines and have different perspectives on the cruise travels as a whole. Passenger Shipping Association has recorded that the UK residents embarking on cruise travel 2009 hit an all-time record of about 1.55 million; this was an increase over 2008’s number by about five percent. It was projected to about 1.65 million in 2010 and 2011, and it did. This was despite the economy down turn. This dramatic growth is still expected to rise over the coming years as it has been viewed by the passenger shipping association (Weaver 360). From the response that some British gave when asked how valuable these holidays are to them is that most of them did the holidays for personal development and for career purposes. Others said that they wanted to relax, spend time with their families, and friends and also having quality food was a substantial reason for the cruising. Researches have now shown that people do not view holidays as some form of luxury, but an equally beneficial since they help soothe the minds of individuals from the many stresses that life has offered them (Lue 18). The attitudes that have been noted amongst the British on cruise travel include; the fact that they fancy party food and sophisticated drinks with their loved ones on the cruise ships. Others said that they enjoyed the natural and scenic view of the oceans and seas. History and culture were also part of the reason some of them traveled on the cruise ships. They enjoyed the visits for the purposes of learning about the historic sites they visited on the off shore excursions. Some people found the cruise travels essential for physical fitness purposes as well. The experience of a truly world class destination is also another reason for the British to travel by cruise in order for them to experience cruise ships first class. Some of them said that there are films and music they listen to that has prompted them to want to explore the places they saw or heard of in films and in music. For some, the cruise travel was merely for the purpose of exciting social lifestyles that they had yearned for in the years (Murray 120). There is enough social interaction with various tourists from different countries, and it is noted to be a time for exchange of culture ideas and travel experiences by individuals. Some of the British residents that they found pleasure in having short breaks from work in order to visit the isles and that they did not want to make too much effort especially when it comes to travelling for over five hours in a flight. The flights they describe as heinous and tiresome. To them this was not a much fulfilling holiday compared to having cruise travels in the beautiful British Isles (Jaakson 44). These travels have also been noted to create a type of balance with careers, health, families and leisure activities in the lives of individuals who partake in them. They have offered an opportunity that satisfied the individuals various needs. History and cultural heritage have played a pivotal role in tying people together, and this has been a success due to the cruise travels that are being offered in the British coasts. On the management of these cruise businesses, Cruise UK is has been started to ensure that the cruise business develops and maximizes its value to the British community. This initiative was initially funded by visitBritain (Morrison 30). This is body that came after the English Tourism Council. The main objectives of this Cruise UK initiative were to create a UK wide market presence, to make a wide range of itineraries in the UK and around it too. The other objective was to introduce many land options especially at each of turn around and the ports of call. Another objective is to attract and bring new cruise ships to the UK (Douglas 50). The structure of this initiative comprises of an advisory board that has up to fifteen organizations that play a crucial role in representing the United Kingdom product (Boniface 38). The purpose of the board is to facilitate the activities of the initiative (Cambridge Dictionary 3). Cruise UK does not work single handed as many industries are responsible for the formation of the UK product (Conroy 73). It involves the UK ports and the existing cruise line businesses. Moreover, it takes into consideration the UK ports that are looking for cruise businesses, port agents, chandlers, suppliers, environmental service suppliers and also provisioners. It also provides tour operators and tour related businesses for example it is looking to find attractions, venues and specialty tours. It helps in the formation of agencies in the UK that are based on cruise line business (Markham 64). In 1999, it was noted by a good number line executives that the industry was not particularly organized and unified in the cruise line industry. There were a small number of meaningful United Kingdom players in the industry. Even with supplies of equipment for marine purposes, the cruise business was still remarkably low. The situation was nothing compared to what Germany, Italy, France and Spain had to offer at the time. On even a smaller scale, Denmark and Norway were well branded and had been funded and done marvelous designs for their brands (Shuy 85). The major problem in the UK ports then was their complete lack of ports that dealt with cruise tourism. The same still applied for the land based tourism sector in Britain then. The ports were not in use for any cruise business. It became concise that UK Cruise’s main aim was to focus on building the cruise industry and tourism in the region. They also facilitated in the formations of partnerships that were either local or regional. They have also been useful in the combination of both maritime and tourism (Toh 35). At this time when the initiative began there were regional partnerships in Scotland and south east of England only. Three years after that had been established there was a substantial change in the sector. This initiative has also direct most of its energy toward building regional and local partnerships because it is through that the product and the experience of the cruise are achieved and delivered to its customers(Dingwall 318). They have done specialist tours that have being contracted to take the tourists on excursions and supply and arrange the cruise lines for the passengers. Most of these operators supplied extra services to cruise lines (Cruise Line International Association 21). Most importantly to the destinations was there to be a development and operation of both off shore and shore excursions for days call and significant post cruise extensions that can help generate valuable revenue to the destinations the cruise ships go to and the cruise lines themselves (Lois 83). All effective partnerships in the regions have recognized the importance of these operations and are active in providing information to the cruise lines for them to keep it fresh and up to date for the customers. The same amount of information is provided at the industrial event where the UK is represented but for a fee (Plog 24). For the spread of information by the UK cruise industry there are directories that have been made for that purpose. The unified UK is also represented in leading events for the cruise industry. There are business websites that are essential for that role. Public relations are also influential in issuing some of the necessary information (Cartwright 109). The growth in demand for the cruises is benefitting UK substantially. There was a tremendous increase in passengers in cruise travel in the years 2000 to 2003. This has seen a remarkable growth in the industry over the years to date. Furthermore, the numbers of passengers who are cruising ships at the UK ports by over 50% till date since the year 2000. The increase in British and non-British customers also brought about an upsurge of the number of cruise ships and liners to the itineraries of Britain (Dickinson 85). Despite the fact that there was a considerable drop in the numbers of ships and liners that docked the shores there was still significant economic benefit from the cruise business. This was recognized in the rampant shore excursions that were carried out. From the calculations the percentage in customers was down in percentage from seventy nine percent to approximately seventy four percent. The economic value then was about seventeen million pounds without including the entrance fees to the various tourist attractions in the region or even the income that is generated from the cruise line and ships alongside with the turnaround ports(Butler 232). About three hundred and seventy eight thousand passengers’ ports in that year, 2003, of which an estimated 228,250 were the British who had boarded the cruise ships from other British ports. A small number of about 150000 people were foreigners who had come to visit the UK. The total value to the UK ports was mostly concentrated in the 3 ports that is Southampton, Harwich, and Dover but was extending to cover Falmouth, Greenock, Liverpool and Tyne (Tideswell 176). The estimations for the profits generated by these ports are about thirty five million pounds to about forty million pounds without including the businesses for the day-calls (Mancini 186). The British is by far the best customers for the cruise line industry although the overseas visitors flock in once in a while. The only setback is the weather that hinders flights, and in 2001, the war in Iraq was quite rampant thus making it impossible for people to travel. Lastly, most importantly, UK cruise industry has had significant challenges, but it currently is working on developing a Pan- UK partnership that is expected to nurture closer relationships with other cruise lines in the world and facilitate marketing of the UK product (Cooper 89). Works cited Boniface, B. & Cooper, C., Worldwide Destinations: The geography of Travel and Tourism, Third Edn, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford2001 print. Butler, M. 2003, Worldwide Cruise Ship Activity, World Tourism Organization, Madrid. Cambridge Dictionary, (visited April 18, 2012), www.dictionary.cambridge.org. Carnival Corporation, http:www.carnivalcorp.com, (visited April 18, 2012). 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