IMPACTS OF DIVING ECOTOURISM & SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL FACTORS INFLUENCING TOURIST SATISFACTION
Ecotourism is generally considered to have a low impact on the environment and to contribute to the conservation of the natural features of the protected sites. On the other hand, as well as promoting conservation, ecotourism can also boost local economies1–3. Therefore, people awareness’ on their natural capital evolves and they become interested parties in the management of the natural sites. Consequently, ecotourism is a very interesting way towards the sustainability of protected areas by involving local people in conservation.
Galapagos Marine Reserve -
Second largest in the world
SCUBA diving tourism in Marine Protected Areas (MPA) is a growing industry4. MPA are highly regarded by divers due to the excellent conservation status and the high levels of marine biodiversity they maintain 5,6. According to PADI, the number of certified divers per year has increased globally almost 4000% in the last 40 years 7. But diving ecotourism is not without conservation problems. Indeed, there is a great amount of literature alerting and reporting the impacts of recreational divers on marine ecosystems.
Hence, it is important to study (1) the impacts caused by recreational scuba activity on marine ecosystems, and (2) the social-ecological factors influencing divers’ satisfaction. This way, effective environmental management policies can be developed to ensure the minimal impact of divers on MPA and their maximum enjoyment. This is the only way to ensure sustainability of this activity.
This project focuses in the diving tourism in three MPA: two in the Mediterranean (Sierra Helada Natural Park and Tabarca Marine Reserve) and one in the Pacific (Galapagos Marine Reserve).
This project focuses in the diving tourism in three MPA: two in the Mediterranean (Sierra Helada Natural Park and Tabarca Marine Reserve) and one in the Pacific (Galapagos Marine Reserve).
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References
- Fennell, D. A. Ecotourism. (Routledge: New York, 2008).
- Goodwin, H. In pursuit of ecotourism. Biodiversity and conservation 5, 277–291 (1996).
- TIES TIES, The international ecotourism society, TIES Global Ecotourism (2006), Available from http://www.ecotourism.org. (2006).
- Davis, D. & Tisdell, C. Recreational scuba-diving and carrying capacity in marine protected areas. Ocean & Coastal Management 26, 19-40 (1995).
- Tundi Agardy, M. Advances in marine conservation: the role of marine protected areas. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 9, 267–270 (1994).
- Roncin, N. et al. Uses of ecosystem services provided by MPAs: How much do they impact the local economy? A southern Europe perspective. Journal for Nature Conservation 16, 256–270 (2008).
- PADI Statistics, Graphs & History about PADI Scuba Diving Certification, Diving Instructors’ Membership & Resorts. (2012).at <http://www.padi.com/scuba/about-padi/padi-statistics/Default.aspx>