Responsible cruise tourism and regeneration: the case of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

Cruise ship tourism continues to grow faster than other tourism sectors globally, with increasing potential benefits for cruise destinations, which seek to boost tourism revenue for instance by developing passenger terminals and associated infrastructure. However, there is a growing awareness of the need for ‘responsible cruise tourism’ in view of the costs of cruise ship tourism to host communities. The case of Nanaimo in British Columbia, Canada, illustrates these issues in terms of the management of cruise ship tourism and associated socio-economic benefits and costs, with implications for policy and practice in other contexts.