Relationship between Blue Economy, Cruise Tourism, and Urban Regeneration: Case Study of Olbia, Sardinia

Abstract

In the last two decades the cruise industry has been increasing exponentially. It comprises 1.6% of total tourists in the world. In fact, tourism in the Mediterranean represents 12% of the overall cruise market, in which segment Italy is the top destination. So far, there have been a range of professionals who have discussed costs and benefits in three main areas: economic, environmental, and sociocultural effects. However, there is not much knowledge of the effects on city planning after the arrival of this type of tourism in port cities. Using a case of study in Olbia, a port of call on the island of Sardinia (Italy), this article shows the relation between cruise activity and urban regeneration process. The methodology used was a qualitative and descriptive–quantitative analysis of the cruise tourism transit cities through bibliographic reviews and fieldwork carried out in the Mediterranean destination.