Understanding residents’ perceptions of cruise tourism: Perceptual structures from Kotor, Montenegro

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine how residents’ perceptions of cruise tourism in a spatially constrained heritage city are structured across multiple domains and which perceptual dimensions most strongly affect support for further cruise tourism growth. Using a resident survey in Kotor, Montenegro (N = 214), this study develops seven standardised composite indices and combines cluster analysis, MANOVA and hierarchical regression to reveal how perceptions cohere and what drives support for cruise tourism growth. Three distinct perceptual profiles are identified, Environmental Skeptics, Pro-economic Enthusiasts and Ambivalent Pragmatists, showing that residents do not align along a simple pro/anti continuum but through coherent configurations of perceived benefits, pressures and governance evaluations. The main contribution is demonstrating that social acceptance is strongly associated with perceived economic benefits and governance quality, while environmental/heritage concerns reduce support and spatial proximity and length of residence play a limited role. Crowding is strongly associated with environmental/heritage impacts but does not independently predict support once broader evaluative dimensions are considered. These findings reposition governance credibility and benefit distribution as central levers for social sustainability in smaller, heritage-sensitive cruise destinations.