Stepping on the beaten track? Walking behavior and profiles of cruise passengers in Barcelona

Abstract

Cruise tourism is growing worldwide, accompanied by increasing scrutiny of its impacts. We examine walking behavior of cruise passengers, given the predominance of this means of transportation when exploring cities among this group of visitors. We used Global Positioning System (GPS) and survey data from 793 passengers in Barcelona (Spain). We found that cruise passengers allocate half of their visit time to walking, underscoring the pivotal role of walking in their urban exploration. We identified five distinct walking profiles among cruise passengers, and observed variations in perceptions, including sensitivity to factors like heat, availability of benches for resting, and feeling of crowdedness at visited places. Our study provides valuable insights for urban planners, tourism authorities, and policymakers seeking to address the issues related to visitors' mobility flows in the city, and it contributes to the academic debate on cruise tourism by offering an in-depth understanding of cruise passengers' pedestrian behavior.