Distribution of cruise ports in the Mediterranean region: spatial heterogeneity and influencing factors

To reveal the geographical rules of the development of cruise ports in the Mediterranean region, this study systematically analyzed the functional types and spatial characteristics of cruise ports in the Mediterranean region. The results show that: (1) the distribution of 253 cruise ports shows a pattern of more in the east and less in the west, more in the north and less in the south, and forming a high-density cluster of four ports on the north coast. (2) The ratio of port of the departure port and the port of call is 1:5. The main types of departure ports are mainland coastal types, while the number of island types and mainland coastal types is relatively uniform in the port of call. The selection of departure ports by cruise operators is characterized by high overlap and partial specificity. (3) At the intercontinental and national scales, the spatial distribution range of the port of call is wider and denser than that of the departure port. (4) The differences in port facilities and traffic conditions, economic development between countries and regions, geopolitical and national stability, and port and navigation relations profoundly affect the spatial differentiation pattern of cruise ports in the Mediterranean region.