Abstract

In recent years, the ever-more-meaningful role of the cruise ship segment of the market was frequently analyzed by the academic literature on leisure tourism. However, research focused on consumer behavior has been limited and was completely absent in the Italian market. To address the gap in the literature, the author analyzed the importance of different attributes evaluated by consumers in their buying process. Using primary survey data from a sample of 1.372 consumers, a factor and a cluster analysis were performed. The analysis identifies the existence of segments based on different consumer behaviors. Experience (first timers versus cruise repeaters) and loyalty (brand versus non brand repeaters) can influence the evaluation of the importance of certain attributes, whilst socio-demographic variables are not relevant. The article concludes with some suggestions for future research and highlights managerial implication especially for communication campaigns.