The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Effect on Marine National Parks in Thailand

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment, including coral reefs, seagrasses, terrestrial/aquatic animals, waste/sewage, and the economy of 27 marine national parks and four marine national park operations centers. Structured interviews were employed in this study. The results from national park officers indicated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, natural resources, such as coral, seagrass, and terrestrial/aquatic animals, had recovered and become more productive since animals in the area were observed. In addition, the amount of waste in the area has decreased; however, some national parks still have problems with marine debris. In contrast, the economic findings indicated that the number of tourists, both Thai and foreign, has decreased, reducing the total national park revenue by THB 1,507,681,302 (USD 50,256,043). Our research shows that there is an important association between the reduction of tourists and environmental quality. In addition, a reduction in revenue may impact the environment through illegal logging and fishing. Therefore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, technology should be used for surveys in the national parks, regularly informing budget support from the government, and tourism management.

The relevance of skilled in-water guides in swim-with wildlife tours

Commercial in-water interactions (IWIs) with wildlife may hold potential risks for their participants. Precautionary mechanisms for mitigating such risk factors are crucial for safe human-wildlife encounters. One of those tools is the provision of skilled in-water guides, yet across the industry, it is not a standard practice. This paper communicates the relevance of in water guides for the safety and wellbeing of tour participants, substantiated by semi-structured interview data obtained in three case study locations in the South Pacific. Participants interacting with humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) and bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) reported various benefits from the presence of in-water guides, including anxiety relief, elevated confidence and perception of safety, and obtainment of information on animal behaviour. Apart from tourist safety, a deployment of in-water guides would also constitute an effective way of managing inappropriate tourist behaviour. Hence, the results of this study strongly suggest the inclusion of in-water guides in commercial operations for tourist safety and management in future licensing schemes.

I CAN’T GET NO SATISFACTION: OR CAN I? SATISFYING AUSTRALIAN WHALE WATCHING TOURISTS

Satisfying tourists whilst also adhering to environmental regulations represents a continuous challenge for whale watching operators. Satisfaction is often conceptualised differently by academics and practitioners, and both the level of operator whale watching experience and government regulations at destinations can vary. This research seeks to identify how satisfaction significantly influences tourists’ socio-demographics, repurchase intentions and positive word-of-mouth (WOM) communication intentions at two Australian whale watching destinations that differ in their level of expertise in offering whale watching experiences. Multiple regression determined that most tourists were very satisfied with their whale watching experience and exhibited high repurchase and positive WOM communication intentions. At both destinations, individual satisfaction items predicted the most variance in repurchase intentions and positive WOM communication intentions, suggesting a holistic approach to satisfaction is not warranted when evaluating a whale watching experience. T-tests, chi-square tests and analysis of variance determined that tourists at each destination varied significantly in their age, education and origin. To provide a satisfying tourist experience and facilitate environment protection, these personnel must continue to offer high-quality services that guarantee whale sightings within a designated time period whilst also adhering to environmental regulations.

Exploring the wildlife value orientations of locals working in community-based marine wildlife tourism in the Philippines

Wildlife tourism can act as an incentive for the conservation of marine species and habitats. One of the most important outcomes can be a change in the views of participants towards target species and their habitats that may promote more conservation-oriented actions. While a handful of studies have documented the wildlife value orientations (WVOs) of tourists participating in marine wildlife tourism, no studies have explored the WVOs of locals working in tourism. However, it is equally important to understand the WVOs of locals working in community-based tourism, and whether these are linked with changes in locals’ attitudes and behaviours towards marine wildlife and the ocean. This paper assesses the WVOs of locals working in community-based whale shark tourism at four sites in the Philippines, and explores the relationship between WVOs and conservation attitudes and behaviours using a mixed methods approach with a total of 114 structured interviews. Three WVO groups were identified (mixed utilitarian-protectionist, moderate protectionist, and high protectionist) suggesting a WVO continuum. Those respondents with more protectionist views reported more conservation outcomes, including changes in attitudes and behaviours to protect whale sharks. Further, respondents who worked in tourism had more protectionist views than those from a failed tourism site indicating that tourism can change communities by helping locals value their marine resources and incentivizing protection of those resources.

UNDERSTANDING THE VARIABLES THAT INFLUENCE SCUBA DIVER BEHAVIOUR ON CORAL REEFS IN SEYCHELLES

Determining the fundamental causes of scuba diver contact with coral reefs is vitally important for the marine tourism sector. This information can provide management authorities and dive operators with methods to promote and demonstrate sustainable dive practices in order to reduce physical interaction by divers on coral reefs. This study provides an insight into what variables influence physical contact by scuba divers on coral reefs around Praslin Island, Seychelles. Underwater behaviour was studied from 205 divers to identify what factors significantly influence contacts on coral reefs at dive sites. Male divers contacted the reef twice as much as female ones (0.25±0.04 versus 0.12±0.02 contacts min-1). Photographers contacted the reef significantly more than those divers without cameras (0.30±0.06 versus 0.10±0.02 contacts min-1), as did diving at midday versus in the morning (0.46±0.13versus 0.16±0.02 contacts min-1). Diver age had a significant effect on contact rates, with the 41-50 age category responsible for the highest amount contacts (0.31±0.07 contacts min-1). Dive operators need to be extra vigilant with these high-risk divers, utilising a combination of damage prevention methods for camera users, providing closer supervision for older divers and reminding divers about eco-friendly dive techniques who are completing more than one dive that day.

ECONOMIC VALUE AND PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF WHALE SHARK TOURISM IN NOSY BE, MADAGASCAR

Nosy Be in northwestern Madagascar is home to a globally important whale shark (Rhincodon typus) aggregation and a growing whale shark tourism industry. Whale sharks, however, are not protected in Malagasy waters and are threatened by fisheries bycatch, collisions with vessels, and disturbance from tourism. We used tourist questionnaires (n = 488) to assess the economic value of, and tourist perceptions of, whale shark tourism in Nosy Be from September-December 2019. We also surveyed whale shark tour operators (n = 12) in December 2018 to understand their perceptions of tourism management needs in the region. Results suggest the Nosy Be whale shark tourism industry was worth US$1.5 million for the three-month 2019 whale shark season. ‘Dedicated’ whale shark divers (i.e., those who came specifically to Nosy Be to swim with whale sharks) spent 55% more money overall and six times the amount individually compared to ‘casual’ whale shark divers. Both tourists and operators supported the protection of whale sharks, with the majority (67.4%) of tourists strongly agreeing that they would choose a tourism destination at which whale sharks are protected. Tour operators did note, however, significant management issues (e.g., overcrowding, lack of regulations/training), recommending the need to better regulate whale shark tourism and interactions. This study emphasises the economic rationale for protecting whale sharks in Madagascar to safeguard the emerging marine tourism industry and ensure it is being sustainably managed.

What is wrong with recreational scuba diver databases?

This commentary draws attention to the challenges for researchers in accessing and using recreational scuba diver training agency and other dive industry databases. These challenges may lead to biased conclusions as to the size and nature of scuba diver populations, falsely identify the diver in specific sectors, distort potentials for scuba diving tourism and incorrectly ascertain what exactly motivates diver travel preferences. The commentary aims to raise awareness of the challenges of gaining access to meaningful recreational scuba diver data and a need to exercise caution when using available scuba diving industry databases.

EXPLORING THE TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR AND EXPERIENCES OF NORWEGIAN SURFERS: COLD-VERSUS WARM-WATER SURFING

More affordable travel opportunities have facilitated a swift rise in surf tourism, which is a growing multi-billion dollar global business niche within the broader sport tourism industry. It is argued that a growing number of surfers who are searching for the perfect wave without the crowds found in well-established surfing destinations are shifting to cold-water surfing. Previous research on surf tourism has largely focused on warm-and temperate-water surfing and related travel. However, an exploration of and an attempt to comprehend cold-water surf tourism and how it compares to similar activities in warm-water has been overlooked. This study focuses on understanding the travel behaviour and related experiences of Norwegian surf tourists domestically and internationally, to cold-and warm-water destinations. Data were collected using a phenomenological approach and semi-structured in-depth interviews with 18 experienced Norwegian surfers. Results show that these surfers are highly mobile, visiting warm-water surf destinations such as Morocco, Bali, Australia and Hawaii and also cold-water surf destinations such as Norway, Iceland, Scotland and Canada. They travel to surf at least once a year, staying between 10days to three months, preferably in cheap accommodation. The longer the travel distance, the longer the stay. Their experiences of “localism”, where local surfers behave aggressively toward visiting surfers, were more common in crowded warm-water destinations. In addition to the enjoyment of surfing, these Norwegian surf tourists valued opportunities to create new social relationships, experience new and different cultures and expand their “world-view” via their surf travel. They appreciated unique natural environments and experienced a deep connection to nature. This research presents the first empirical data on the travel behaviour and related-experiences of surf tourists from a non-traditional surfing nation in Scandinavia.

Coastal Tourism in Saudi Arabia.An Exploratory Study of Half Moon Beach

Half Moon Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Saudi Arabia and is located on the Persian Gulf. Empirical data regarding Saudi marine and coastal recreation and tourism is very limited. This study used a self-reply questionnaire to investigate beach visitors’ (n=280) characteristics, motivations and activities. Results revealed that visitors were predominantly Saudis (95%) from the Eastern Province who visited Half Moon Beach for the purpose of enjoying the beauty of nature, the sea and sand and to relax. Visitors (39%) were mostly satisfied with the overall experience but many (23%) expressed negative comments about their beach visits. They were dissatisfied with the low level of cleanliness of the beach and facilities, a lack of services and facilities and the limited number of sea and beach-related activities. Visitors mostly (79%) supported more development of more activities at the beach. Furthermore, visitors (47%) suggested that activities should carefully target families and children and provide options that engage the whole family. Many visitors (37%) suggested that females are an important segment and should be targeted with activities that respect their cultural and religious practices and give them more chances to enjoy the beach visits.