Potential of public transport in the regionalization of the main cruise destinations in the Mediterranean

Abstract

The cruise industry has become a significant component of the Mediterranean destinations tourism economy in the last few years. The use of the destination region means increasing the number of mid-distance trips from the port-of-calls to the tourist resources of their tourist hinterland, hence its accessibility should acquire a relevant role for its enhancement and viability. The development of a sustainable model of tourist mobility requires analysing the potential use of public transport by cruise passengers in the hinterland. This paper proposes a model of estimated times using the Google platform to compare public transport with the traditional tourist bus and car. The results confirm the potential of the regionalization of the main cruise destinations and recommend promoting the use of the bicycle for tourist use as a key strategy to increase the use of public transport.