Understanding Ethnic Chinese Travelers on North American Cruise Tours: Motivations, Perceptions, and Satisfaction of Cruisers

Cruise travel has become more popular than ever, and the numbers of cruise vacations are growing worldwide at a high rate. The cruise industry is the fastest growing category within the leisure market. International travel within, into, and out of Asia and the Pacific has experienced strong growth. Asia is a large market and a potential growth area for the cruise industry. Increasing numbers of Asians are availing themselves of cruise vacations in Asia. This generates awareness and interest in cruise travel, providing opportunities to promote cruises in Europe, Australia, or North America to Asians. There are large communities of ethnic Chinese all over Asia, including Taiwan. Taiwanese travelers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their traveling standards and they seek to enrich their experiences by taking trips abroad. Cruise trips have become a favorite of the Taiwanese. The Taiwanese cruise market has grown substantially in the past decade. There are only a few research studies on travelers' motivations to experience a cruise vacation and their subsequent satisfaction with that experience. Because Asian travelers are an emerging segment of the cruise industry, there is need for cruise operators to better understand the needs of the ethnic Chinese segment and the Taiwanese traveler in particular. The purpose of this article is to address this gap in the literature. The study surveyed 400 Taiwanese travelers who have been on North American cruise ship tours in the past 10 years. Both genders were evenly represented. An overwhelming majority of the respondents were over 40 years old. About half of the respondents had bachelor's degrees or higher. Over 75% were first‐time cruisers, with approximately 85% reporting vacation/leisure as their primary trip purpose. Alaska was the cruise destination of choice for over 60% of respondents. Push motivational factors were identified as Discovery, Enjoyment, Social/Esteem Needs, Escape, and Family Time. Pull motivations were unifactorial. Respondents were influenced by recommendations from media and from family, friends, and colleagues. Respondents were satisfied with tangibles, cleanliness, food choices and selection, and responsiveness of staff. They were less satisfied with the entertainment, Chinese food, and communication skills of the staff. An overwhelming majority of the respondents would revisit and recommend the cruise experience to others. Implications for researchers and practitioners are suggested. 近年来，邮轮旅游的风气日益兴盛，参加邮轮旅游的全球人口显著增长。 在休閒旅游市场中，邮轮产业的发展最为迅速。 亚太地区在全世界的旅游市场上佔有重要的地位，因此亚洲地区被视为广大且有潜力的邮轮市场。 亚洲邮轮旅游人次的增长，使欧洲、澳洲和北美洲极为重视亚洲市场。 而台湾在亚洲旅游市场上佔有一席之地;；这几年来台湾旅客追求更好且更多的国外旅游经验，因此邮轮旅游亦成为台湾旅客最喜爱的旅游方式之一。 以往的相关文献仅有少数是着重于邮轮旅客的动机及满意度的。 然而，基于亚洲游客的不同喜好，邮轮经营者必须了解华人旅客的需求。 本文乃针对台湾搭乘邮轮的旅客进行研究，进而深入透晰华人市场。 本研究是根据十年内曾经搭乘过邮轮的400位台湾旅客进行问卷调查，受访者的男女比例均等，大多数的年龄超过四十岁，且受过高等教育;百分之七十五的受访者为第一次搭乘邮轮，其旅游之目的是以休閒及渡假为主;超过百分之六十的受访者以阿拉斯加为旅游的目的地。 旅游动机的推力因素有探索、享受人生、追求声望、逃离压力和享受天伦之乐。 受访者会受到媒体或朋友的推荐所影响;受访者的满意因素为设备、环境整洁、食物的可选择性和员工的反应;较不满意的因素为娱乐、中国菜的提供和员工的沟通能力。 总体而言，受访者表示会再次搭乘邮轮，并且推荐亲朋好友搭乘邮轮之旅。 因此，学术界及业界可以本文的研究结果为参考依据。