Recent trends in cruise tourism in the Iberian Western Atlantic, a case study

Abstract

Cruise tourism represents the segment of the international tourism market that has experienced the greatest growth in recent decades. This reality has led the Public Administrations to classify it as a key product. This study aims to analyze territorial competitiveness in cruise tourism in ports located in the Iberian western Atlantic area. Based on an empirical analysis and the application of panel regression techniques, we draw the territorial reality of the ports of this geographic space when attracting tourist cruises to their facilities. This analysis reveals the growth and lower competitiveness of the Galician ports compared to the ports of Leixões and Lisbon that share the same maritime space.