What are the implications for the post-pandemic Caribbean cruise industry? (Special issue: What are the prospects for the post-pandemic Caribbean cruise industry?.)

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of the theme issue was to enable cruise ship owners and destination governments to critically assess the viability, vulnerability and responsiveness of Caribbean cruise tourism in the context of the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: This concluding article uses content analysis to re-visit the contributions made to assessing the impact of the pandemic and the implications for Caribbean cruise tourism. Findings: Governments across the Caribbean will need to re-think how they work with the cruise industry in a more cohesive and integrated way. This initiative is likely to result in the Caribbean having greater latitude in negotiations with the major cruise conglomerates that control over 80% of the industry in the region. Close attention must also be paid to improving local infrastructure and to facilitating the involvement of local people in providing tourists with an authentic Caribbean experience. Practical implications The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on the Caribbean region. In common with the rest of the world, island destinations had to close their borders to mitigate the impact of the virus and as tourism-dependent locations, this has had financial consequences. At present, there is no end in sight, and it is difficult to predict when Caribbean cruise tourism will ever return to pre-pandemic levels. Social implications COVID-19 has shown the world that we are all dependent on each other and that greater collaboration is needed to re-open the cruise industry. The pandemic has also shown that rapid technological development is needed to drive change. Further, it can be argued that technology will enable all stakeholders to coordinate their responses, together with support from governments across the Caribbean. Originality/value This theme issue explored the impact of COVID-19 on cruise tourism in the Caribbean and it proposes factors to mitigate re-occurrence. The proposals contained in this theme issue provide a guide to help enable governments in the Caribbean region to re-position their respective countries in response to the pandemic and related socio-economic impacts.