Governing cruise tourism at Bonaire: a networks and flows approach

Conceptual approaches to thoroughly study governance of cruise tourism are lacking in the literature. Relying on Castells’ network society, we analyze how two interconnected flows of cruise ships and passengers are governed by a marine community of users and policy makers. Bonaire is used as a case study. Research shows that the transnational cruise ship flow increasingly determines the local passenger flow at Bonaire. Therefore, the marine community increasingly connects with and adapts to the requirements of the transnational cruise network. Moreover, unequal power relations between cruise networks and flows prioritize the economy over the environment at Bonaire.