Continued growth in the demand for sport tourism experiences has heightened the need for advanced, in-depth and critical insights that are theoretically informed. This incisive book has been written to address that need and to stimulate the curiosity of students, educators and practitioners alike.

This collection of papers from Tourism Geographies emphasizes new and emerging research paradigms in the geographic study of tourism. The papers included in this collection follow one of two threads: explicitly supporting specific research frameworks, or implicitly presenting new and emerging theoretical perspectives through empirical research on the geographical topics. These begin with three overview papers from themes that emerged from recent annual meetings of the Association of American Geographers, including evolutionary economic geography (EEG), political ecology and community resilience. Each of these theoretical and conceptual frameworks is leading to new explorations and insights in a wide variety of geographical and social science research, including tourism studies. These are followed by a series of papers that extend our knowledge and thinking on a range of key geographical topics, including development and underdevelopment (by Saarinen & Rogerson), sustainable tourism planning (by Torres-Delgado & Saarinen), encounters with the natural environment (by Hill), and the geography of place names (by Light), as well as economic geography and new technologies and their applications to spatial behavior research. The papers in this special issue are especially relevant to tourism scholars, and very much represent the types of perspectives that Tourism Geographies seek to promote. This book was published as a special issue of Tourism Geographies.

The book is an important volume about islands in Malaysia, particularly in Sabah. It is a useful collection about tourism and small business development with special focus on islands. This volume has discussed extensively the potential prospects and challenges related to the islands that the research team has visited. It shares valuable insights, knowledge and experiences that offer essential references and guidance for various stakeholders as well as future research. The research team is thankful and express the utmost appreciation for the support received from the Universiti Malaysia Sabah particularly the Research and Innovation Management Centre to make the study possible. Hence, the publication of this humble volume that may well benefit the wider audience.

This volume offers new insight into an important and largely under-examined area of marine leisure and tourism: scuba diving tourism. Knowledge of scuba diving has long been hidden among broad discussions of water-based sports and activities and this focused book aims to shed further understanding and knowledge on this popular international activity. The book examines the current issues central to research into and management of scuba diving Tourism from multidisciplinary perspectives such as health and safety, climate change, policy and regulation and the recreation/leisure context. It further reveals critical management issues of economic, environmental and socio-cultural impacts related to scuba diving tourism which extends to the influence of climate change on the industry’s operations and future. This significant volume which conceptualizes the issues surrounding scuba diving tourism now and in the future is written by leading experts in this field and will be valuable reading for all those interested in marine leisure and tourism.

This book successfully bridges the gap between academic text to an informal study of the significance of life in the oceans around us, providing an ideal introduction to the subject for conservationists, hobbyist, policymakers and students. The book sheds light on the pressing issues and focuses on the areas of research that Sabah is experiencing today, as marine scientists from the Borneo Marine Research Institute continue to advance in understanding the marine environment of Sabah in line with the priorities of the state and the country. Explore a wide range of topics from single-cell algae to large marine vertebrates, from hydrodynamics and water quality to effects of marine plastic pollution, from the biological to the physical and chemical aspects of the marine environment in Sabah. After going through each chapter, it gives the saying “Sabah is blessed with natural wonders” a deeper reflection of what the ocean means to the environment and people of the state.

The Darwin Elasmobranch Biodiversity Conservation and Management project in Sabah held a three-day international seminar that included a one-day workshop in order to highlight freshwater and coastal elasmobranch conservation issues in the region and worldwide, to disseminate the result of the project to other Malaysian states and countries, and to raise awareness of the importance of considering aspects of elasmobranch biodiversity in the context of nature conservation, commercial fisheries management, and for subsistence fishing communities. These proceedings contain numerous peer-reviewed papers originally presented at the seminar, which cover a wide range of topics, with particular reference to species from freshwater and estuarine habitats. The workshop served to develop recommendations concerning the future prospects of elasmobranch fisheries, biodiversity, conservation and management. This paper records those conclusions, which highlight the importance of elasmobranchs as top marine predators and keystone species, noting that permanent damage to shark and ray populations are likely to have serious and unexpected negative consequences for commercial and subsistence yields of other important fish stocks.

Tourism is one of the most dynamic and challenging industries across the globe. Since tourism is a multi-dimensional service industry, it becomes a responsibility of national and local governments, private sectors and voluntary organizations to make it more sustainable and responsible for minimizing negative environmental, social and cultural impacts and generating greater economic benefits for local residents. Moreover, it has become an immediate need to conserve natural and cultural heritage for the maintenance of the world’s diversity. The present anthology, divided into three sections and comprising 16 chapters, addresses the need of sustainable and responsible tourism. It provides vibrant insights into the latest trends and practices followed in the industry for the sustenance of tourism. The book emphasizes the potential of tourism in upgrading national economy and social well-being of host communities. Besides, it focuses on the areas of important concerns which require critical attention, such as visitor impact management, tourism destination management, community involvement for tourism sustenance and the threat of climatic change on biodiversity and tourist destination. The book also guides readers towards new horizons of tourism arena related to sustainability and responsible tourism practices. This book will be of great interest to the students of hospitality and tourism management. Besides, it will prove to be of great use to policy makers, stakeholders, tourism educators and researchers.