Essay from the year 2020 in the subject Tourism - Miscellaneous, grade: 78/100, University of Leeds (School of Earth and Environment), course: Critical Perspectives on Environment and Development, language: English, abstract: This review essay aims to synthesise the current understanding of socio-economic and social impacts of marine ecotourism on the wellbeing of local communities by discussing the findings presented in recent empirical research papers. This review considers studies conducting economic impact evaluations on shark diving and whale watching, as well as social impact studies of tourism development in protected areas. Firstly, the key findings of empirical case studies are presented and analysed, focusing on how these argue for the marketization of marine resources through ecotourism either as a development opportunity or as a means for species conservation. This is followed by an analysis on how this form of environmental governance involves novel forms of power between communities and government institutions. This review argues that marine ecotourism as a means of neoliberal conservation presents opportunities as well as constraints for environmental justice.

Covering economic, marketing planning and regulation issues, this book also considers the vital role of marine ecotourism in raising awareness of the significance of the seas and oceans to sustainable coastal livelihoods.

Marine ecotourism is a major growth area within ecotourism, itself a rapidly expanding area within tourism as a whole. The activity has been attracting increasing attention, both from the popular media and from professionals and academics with an interest in tourism’s potential to contribute to sustainable development. However, there is a growing consensus that far too often the term has been used merely as a tool for capitalising on the good intentions of tourists, without the industry itself having to make fundamental changes to their products or to the way they go about their operations. This has often been to the detriment of local environments, economies and host communities. Yet the ideal of ecotourism, as it is properly understood, is to present local communities with a sustainable development alternative – one that works to the benefit of local ecosystems, local economies and local people. The purpose of the first section of this book is therefore to introduce the concept of marine ecotourism and to draw out some of the key issues involved in ensuring that marine ecotourism is developed in a genuinely sustainable manner. The second section then discusses some practical experiences of planning and managing marine ecotourism from around the world, identifying common problems and discussing what might constitute good practice in addressing those problems.

This book is designed to show how ecotourism theory can be put into practice by exploring innovation, program applications, and research-supported case studies in ecotourism. The chapters reflect results of applied research focused on socio-economics of community development; the value of considering system-wide approaches to the relationships between communities and natural resources; the intricacies of capacity building and training facilitators in ecotourism; and education through ecotourism experiences. The cumulative impact of the research presented highlights innovative approaches to visitor management, community engagement, and education to critically address the complexities associated with visitation to natural areas and the dependence upon conservation of ecosystems and associated communities. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Ecotourism.

This book explores how children living in tourism destinations are particularly susceptible to the impacts of tourism and how they can be included in public policies, programmes and decision-making, focusing particularly on case studies in Europe. Children in Tourism Communities argues that for tourism to exercise its regenerative role and encourage sustainable development, it must be inclusive of all voices, especially children who represent the future generation and will soon become adults with the rights and responsibilities for engaging in and delivering tourism activities. The book is based on original, ground-breaking research assessing the views of children regarding tourism, with a specific focus on sustainable tourism and development. It includes discussion on key case study locations including Croatia, India, Ireland, Malta, Serbia and Slovenia, although the themes, issues and practices have relevance in all tourism destinations worldwide. Through child-centred research, the book evaluates the differences between those living in mass tourism destinations and smaller-scale micro tourism areas. It encourages a rethinking of sustainability as a concept and demonstrates how tourism can be utilised as a tool for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This will be an important discussion text for students, academics, and instructors in sustainable tourism and development, destination management, culture and heritage, as well as practitioners engaged in continuing professional development in these areas.

The first text to take a truly inter-disciplinary approach to critically examining the impacts of tourism on marine environments and coastal regions, focusing on the negative environmental impacts but also looking at the social and economic impacts.

Intended as a guide for wildlife managers and ecotourism operators, as well as interested ecotourists, this book addresses the biological principles governing how ecotourism affects wildlife. The introductory chapters focus on four key responses to human visitation—behavioral, physiological, ecological, and evolutionary. Readers will discover ecotourism’s effects on biodiversity in connection with various industries that are habitat or taxonomically specific: fish tourism (including both freshwater and marine), marine mammal tourism, the huge industry centered on terrestrial animals, and the well-studied industry of penguin tourism. Given that the costs and benefits of ecotourism cannot be meaningfully assessed without understanding the human context, particular attention is given to how ecotourism has been used as part of community development. In closing, the book synthesizes the current state of knowledge regarding best practices for reducing human impacts on wildlife. The final chapter highlights key research questions that must be addressed to provide more evidence-based guidelines and policy.