The dynamics of port development: Modelling knowledge transfer and stakeholder involvement

The cruise sector is arguably the most dynamic sector of the tourism industry having sustained phenomenal growth in recent years in customer demand and operational expansion. Cruise corporations are continually seeking out viable locations to add to their itineraries, not only to vary their product menu, but also to augment business operations particularly in the case of home porting. Thus, opportunities for destinations exist and are expanding to include business interests that may not view themselves as part of the industry. The complexity of planning for the future development of cruise tourism is evident and destination planning and development is crucial to cater for the increase in visitor numbers that accompanies this industry. This paper draws from a case study of destination development and the development of home porting in Newcastle, NSW Australia. A model of stakeholder knowledge transfer was devised to illustrate the dynamics within and between stakeholders in the lead up to the 2010 cruise season when Carnival’s Pacific Sun was welcomed into the port as the first cruise ship to home port in the city. This model is then stripped to the elements which were isolated as important factors in the knowledge transfer process in relation to strategic decision making on a destination development level. This paper concludes with the proposal that a generic model provides a platform for further empirical application and expansion in contexts where the dynamism of the cruise industry is playing out