With cruise tourism continuing to expand globally, ship port staff have become an important point of intercultural contact between international passengers and local destinations. Despite this growing role, little empirical research has examined the intercultural communicative competence (ICC) of port personnel, particularly in the Thai context. This study investigates the ICC of 400 Thai ship port staff in Thailand. Using Barrett et al.’s (2013) Intercultural Competence Model, the study adopted a mixed-methods design combining a 20-item scenario-based questionnaire with qualitative reflections on workplace intercultural experiences. The questionnaire assessed four ICC domains: attitudes, knowledge, skills, and action. Participants also responded to an open-ended question describing challenges and experiences in communicating with culturally diverse cruise passengers. The findings reveal an uneven profile of intercultural competence. Participants generally demonstrated moderate levels of attitudes and communication skills, but lower levels of knowledge and action. The lowest scores were associated with equitable service practices for passengers with disabilities, suggesting that practical intercultural responsiveness remains an area requiring further development. Qualitative responses further showed that years of frontline service experience may increase cultural awareness, while not necessarily leading to confidence in decision-making or action. This study argues that ICC should be treated as a core professional competence within Thailand’s expanding cruise-port industry rather than as an informal by-product of workplace experience. The findings contribute to current discussions on intercultural communication in tourism and service settings and offer practical implications for staff training, tourism and hospitality education, and professional development policy in international port services.

Authors:
Chariti Khuanmuang, Kasetsart University, Thailand

About the Presenter(s)
Chariti Khuanmuang is currently an assistant professor at the Department of Foreign Languages, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule

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