A dynamic modelling approach to manage the cruise port of call

Abstract

This study presents a dynamic model for the management of a cruise port, simulating the behavior of the system under different scenarios for the period 2015–2025. The proposed management system considers the factors that determine the demand and supply of cruise passengers and the existing relationships between them, which has allowed simulations to be carried out using System Dynamics (SD) modelling. With information referring to the case Malaga’s cruise port (Spain), the results show future scenarios in which the flow of cruise passengers is conditioned both by the effects of COVID-19 and by the tourism and macroeconomic environment. The results also suggest that SD modelling is a tool that can be used to support decision-making in cruise port management by helping to identify strategies that guarantee the sustainability of the system.