Sea ferry travel: the tourists’ liminal experience on the ferry

Purpose This study aims to explore the tourist’s liminal experience on a ferry and form a conceptual framework of liminal experience in the mobile liminal setting from the perspective of island tourists. Design/methodology/approach To address the purpose of taking the ferry from Zhoushan Island to Sijiao Island in China as the part of research, a qualitative method research design was used, including participatory observation, in-depth interviews and online data from social media. Findings Ferry as a mobile liminal space on the sea provides tourists to experience liminality by perceiving unique time construction, the overlap of physical and figurative space, the sense of liminal community and perceived existential authenticity, embodied spatial practices and perceived liminal benefits and costs under the specific social and cultural contexts. Practical implications This study proposes that tourism planners should strengthen tourists’ liminal experience on the ferry through integrated shipscape planning, including ship space planning, theme design and product development, which can make the ferry to be a meaningful place brand. Originality/value This study not only confirms that taking tourism public transport such as a ferry is a rite of passage for tourists before entering the island destination but also points out that public transport is a tourist attraction with time, space and social meaning for tourists.