Governance agency in a contested cruise destination: a legitimacy-evolutionary approach
Abstract
This article proposes a framework that explains the evolution of destination governance by examining the power and trust implications of the ways that various stakeholders legitimize their visions of a desirable future. We apply it to the case of Juneau, Alaska, a community and a cruise destination which lacks a comprehensive tourism plan but where governance is evolving due to the long-term confrontation between disputed visions, expectations, and management solutions. The application of the framework to the case study shows the importance of stakeholders’ legitimacy in shaping a destination’s governance and subsequent pathway evolution. The framework contributes to the existing literature by providing a way to connect stakeholder views, five dimensions of legitimacy, trust and power, the governance framework, and destination path evolution.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Cruise Tourism Development and Management
Coastal and Marine Management
Maritime Ports and Logistics
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Tourism Geographies
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 617–650
- Publication date
- 3 April 2026
- Language
- EN