Challenges in Cruise Tourism in Relation to Shore Excursions : The Case of Sri Lanka

Although cruise tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the international leisure tourism market, tourism research on ocean cruises have often been neglected in Sri Lanka. Cruise calls involve frequent shore excursions to attractions including both cultural and natural, in different parts of Sri Lanka. Thus, the aim of this study is to identify the challenges in cruise tourism in relation to shore excursions. The study is qualitative driven thus semi-structured interviews, discussions and participatory observation have been used as key research tools. Descriptive approaches were employed to analyze the data gathered. The findings emphasized that the shore excursion challenges are economic, natural and socio-cultural related, demand and supply related, and service providers related. The implications of the study can facilitate future researches, empirical studies, and strategy development relevant to cruise tourism