Cruise events in the value creation: coordination between cruise companies and terminals

The aim of this paper is to investigate the cruise events in the seaport systems as critical managerial and strategic tool for the increase of cruise passenger flows. In particular, we identify three typologies of cruise events (“cruise events on ship boarding”, “cruise events on ship berthing”, “cruise events on terminal”) and recognize their role in the organizational and managerial seaport models. According to the literature on the hospitality industry, we recognize the main role played by the events in promoting and developing the revenues for the hotels (room occupancy) and their specific economic and social impact on the territory. Regarding the methodology, this is a theoretical study conducted through a review of the literature in order to clarify and systematize the main contributions on this topic and finally to identify new research perspectives. Our theoretical study, also through the observation of some experiences in the cruise industry, evidences that the cruise events could be considered as effective managerial and strategic tools for the increase of cruise passenger flows; to achieve this goal it could be necessary the coordination and cooperation in the cruise event management process among players.