Cruise Tourism: A PRISMA Literature Review
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https://doi.org/10.17979/rotur.2026.20.1.12470Abstract
The aim of this article is to analyse the literature on cruise tourism in order to identify case studies and experiences related to its economic, environmental, and social impacts on port destinations. The study consisted of a PRISMA literature review of articles in indexed, peer-reviewed journals and repositories from the social sciences for the period 2010-2023. The changes observed in the cruise industry were found to reflect global trends in tourism flows, such as the tourism boom in Caribbean destinations. One recurring issue is temporary employment in ports, since cruise tourism operations are seasonal. The review also revealed environmental impacts resulting from greenhouse gas emissions and from excessive tourist demand relative to carrying capacity. Research in Latin America on the transformations experienced by destinations as a consequence of cruise tourism was found to be scarce, indicating a need to address this gap with new lines of research that incorporate mixed approaches and the involvement of other academic disciplines, such as environmental management for sustainability, regional and urban economics, and regional geography.
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