Dive Tourism Industry Research Articles

Design Study of Characteristic Scuba Diving Tourism in Sanya, Hainan Province

In recent years, with the development of diving tourism, the diving tourism industry in Sanya, Hainan Province, China has rapidly emerged. The tourism management department has been promoting and advertising this unique tourism feature, making diving tourism one of the major attractions that bring in more and more domestic and foreign tourists. We have noticed that there is great potential and room for the development of diving tourism in Sanya, Hainan Province, but there are also problems with tourist safety, marketing strategies, and poor management. To promote the development of diving tourism in Sanya, Hainan Province, we suggest the following: First, strengthen the measures to ensure the safety of tourists, including improving the quality of diving tourism services, strengthening the construction of management systems, and enhancing tourist safety measures to improve their sense of security. Secondly, optimize the marketing strategies to increase the awareness and competitiveness of diving tourism products. Thirdly, strengthen management and regulatory measures, perfect management systems, and standardize market order. Fourthly, establish a comprehensive diving tourism plan, design diving routes, and enhance the quality of diving facilities and services. Based on these suggestions, we can enhance the development of diving tourism in Sanya, Hainan Province, increase its economic and social benefits, and raise its level of development significantly.

Exploring New Dive Tourist Cohorts on the Great Barrier Reef

This research note reports on previously undescribed cohorts of dive tourists and contributes to the current body of knowledge about dive tourist segments. Findings are based on conversations with 138 passengers who volunteered comments while returning from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) on commercial day-trip and liveaboard (overnight) vessels. The study identified six new dive tourist cohorts. The findings highlight the importance that travel companions play in the decision-making of dive tourists with implications for customer value creation. The findings also may indicate an emerging trend in the adventure tourism market where participants are unlikely to become dedicated enthusiasts in adventure activities such as scuba diving. These insights also have implications for the dive tourism industry as a potential way to increase dive tourist numbers.

Sociocultural Information Gap in the Dive Tourism Industry: Evidence from Komodo National Park

Through the perspective of partnership for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 17th), this study aims to identify and describe the information gaps among stakeholders of the dive tourism industry of Komodo National Park as one of the super-priority tourism destinations in Indonesia. Researchers studied documents, performed field observation, and conducted in-depth interviews with 20 stakeholders. Qualitative content analysis revealed several notable findings. First, the information gaps among stakeholders are generally linked to knowledge disparity about tourism-technical and local sociocultural issues. Sociocultural information, particularly on environment preservation issues, shows the tendency to predominate everyday discourse rather than tourism technical information. Second, the foreigner community appears to be better than local stakeholders at mastering the sociocultural information discourse, particularly in terms of collaboration on environment preservation information. Further studies are needed to examine the interaction among actors predominating the sociocultural information management and their strategies to collaborate in maximizing the role of Destination Management Organization-Destination Governance (DMO-DG).

Factors Affecting Customer Loyalty in The Dive Tourism Industry in Indonesia

Abstract
 Diving Industry in Indonesia has huge potential needs to be managed properly in order to carrying out the concept of green tourism, but it has not been supported by the optimal performance of dive centers. That is marked by the low level of loyalty of diving tourism consumers.
 The purpose of this research is to analyze the effect of Green Marketing and Service Quality to Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty of Diving Tourism Customer.
 Research Method used in this research is descriptive analysis with research design used is explanatory design. The research object is 12 (twelve) dive centers is spread on Three provinces in Indonesia. Analysis unit are experience and certified divers with total 200 respondents. Each sample from dive center is chosen proportionally. Technic Sampling is judgment sampling. The tool analysis used is statistic descriptive supported by SPSS software and statistic inferential supported by software of Lisrel Version 8,80.
 The research result described that practiced of green marketing, service quality have positif impact on Customer satisfantion and Customer loyalty of divers although there are still indicators that are indicating low impact. The results of the causality study state that : a) Green marketing has no significant affect on customer loyalty, b) Green marketing has significant affect on satisfaction, c) The service quality has no significant affect on customer satisfaction,d) The quality of service has no significant affect on customer loyalty, e) The customer satisfaction has significant affect on customer loyalty.
 
 Keyword: Green Marketing, Service Quality, Satisfaction, Loyalty, Dive Tourism,Indonesia

Perspectives on the impact of external risks on the future of dive tourism at a high latitude reef complex in the Indian Ocean Region

ABSTRACT South Africa's marine environment is rich in fauna and flora, and renowned for its pristine coral reefs. Yet, with various risks continuing to threaten the future of marine tourism in the Blue Economy, for how long can scuba diving tourism remain a popular marine recreational activity in the region? By means of a case study approach, this article aims to identify the range of domestic and international external risks impacting on dive tourism at a dive tourism hotspot at the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (iWP) in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Results suggest that dive operators perceive external risks to be a significant threat to the future of their dive operations. Most pertinent are risks where domestic crime, political instability, depressed economic activity, access to dive tourism hotspots, and restrictive government regulations have impacted the dive tourism industry in the region.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS (ISO-SCUBA) ON IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF DIVING TOURISM IN AQABA, JORDAN

The study aims to identify the impact of applying the international standards and specifications issued by the International Organization for Standardization and Metrology (ISO-Scuba) in enhancing competitive advantages and comparative advantages which improves the quality of diving tourism in the Jordanian Gulf of Aqaba coast. An analysis of all the provisions of international standards and specifications for marine diving tourism is utilized to provide a comprehensive picture of the reality of diving tourism in the study area. The results of the study revealed that the application of ISO standards and specifications in marine protected areas in the Gulf of Aqaba can provide a flexible and adaptable system in managing the quality of tourism services provided to tourists. It contributes to providing a framework for applying international standards and specifications to marine protected areas in the study area. This contribution is critical for decision-maker in adopting the holistic planning process for the diving tourism industry in the city of Aqaba, especially in light of expansion a great diving tourism industry witnessed in Aqaba city since the beginning of this century.

Scuba diving operators’ perspective of scuba diving tourism business in Nusa Penida, Indonesia

Nusa Penida is not only the leading diving destination in Indonesia but also one of the most famous diving points in Southeast Asia. However, it is not a mature tourist area due to its unsustainable tourism development. Furthermore, the problems experienced by diving tourism businesses in this area have rarely been studied. Therefore, this study aims to explore the challenges that affect tourism sustainability in the scuba diving tourism industry in Nusa Penida, from the perspective of dive operators. Drawing on qualitative data collected through 10 semi-structured interviews with diving operators, seven themes emerged from the study (i.e. environmental issues, lack of trained staff and guides, water sport activity, lack of enforcement, lack of government support, unhealthy competition, and irresponsible operators). These findings are expected to provide substantial theoretical and practical implications for researchers, diving business managers, and local governments in sustainable business management. Management implications•It provides policymakers with insights as to how to revise development plans and reinforce regulations for future tourism sustainability.•It aids managers of diving tourism businesses in gaining awareness and understanding the potential challenges in small diving business operations as well.•This helps prepare future diving entrepreneurs for the marketing and management aspects of their business.•This research could be applied by similar destinations to craft an effective business strategy that meets their desired outcomes.

The Impact of the Environmental Assessment Using the Quadruple Strategic Analysis Matrix in Enhancing the Competitive Advantage of Diving Tourism in the Jordanian Coast of the Gulf of Aqaba

The research aims to identify the impact of environmental assessment using the quad analysis matrix (SWOT Analysis) in enhancing the competitive advantage of the reality of diving tourism in the Jordanian Gulf of Aqaba coast, through the use of the quadruple analysis system to identify all the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in diving tourism in Aqaba, to provide a comprehensive picture of the chronological reality of development in the diving tourism industry, and the spatial organization and spatial relationships between all uses in the study area, also drawing on the geographic information systems and remote sensing software, to provide a holistic picture that contributes to learning about the current reality of diving tourism in Aqaba, and the future prediction in the form of spatial space within a comprehensive holistic approach based on scientific foundations. The study reached the importance of integrated environmental management with its natural, economic and social elements, based on a comprehensive analysis and diagnosis of all diving tourism activities, according to sustainable planning and approach, based on future best practices and projections related to the uses of the diving tourism industry. This contributes to setting the decision-maker on the right path in adopting the holistic planning process for the diving tourism industry in the study area, especially in light of the great expansion witnessed by the diving tourism industry in Aqaba during the recent times.

Sinking deeper: The most significant risks impacting the dive tourism industry in the East African Marine Ecoregion

Scuba diving continues to be one of the most popular recreational activities in marine tourism, but its sustainability is currently threatened due to environmental, social, political, and economic risks. The East African Marine Ecoregion is renowned for its richness in marine fauna and flora, including some of the Indian Ocean's most diverse and abundant coral reef ecosystems, making it a popular destination for scuba divers. However, empirical evidence suggests that external risks (international and domestic) are impacting on dive operators in the region, creating the need to better understand these impacts. This research was therefore aimed at identifying the most significant of these external risks from the perspective of dive operators, via an explorative and descriptive study. The qualitative and quantitative primary data collected revealed that domestic and international economic and political risks have the greatest impact on dive operators in the East African Marine Ecoregion, and this trend is expected to continue. Environmental degradation of coral reefs, while not seen as a threat to dive operators at present, constitutes a key threat within the near future. In terms of the variation in perceived risk across the region, Kenya suffers most from social and political risks, Tanzania from environmental risks, Mozambique from political risks, and South Africa from economic risks. The research contributes to Africa's Blue Economy, which aims to guide African countries in sustainable use of the marine environment while harnessing its social and economic benefits. The findings create awareness of the impact of external risks on regional dive operators and their significance. Furthermore, they create an opportunity for decision makers and stakeholders in the region to craft solutions to improve the sustainability of the scuba diving industry.

Risk and resilience: High stakes for sharks making transjurisdictional movements to use a conservation area

Oceanic sharks are vulnerable to overexploitation due to their life-history strategies, and efforts to protect them in the wild have been stalled by transjurisdictional conflicts of interest. The pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) is one such species that visits a seamount in the Philippines where its dependable presence has catalysed a burgeoning dive tourism industry and the designation of a conservation area. Nothing is known of the range and turnover of this population, but the regularity with which these sharks interact with cleaner wrasse on the seamount provides important stability for regional businesses that lack empirical knowledge of their vulnerability. We fitted 14 pelagic thresher sharks with acoustic tags and monitored their fine scale movements for 66 days (June to mid-August 2014). Individuals were present at the seamount for 32% of their days at liberty, and 42% of the tagged sharks were still being detected there at the end of the study. Thresher sharks showed preferences for visiting specific locations on the seamount where they interact with cleaner fish, and estimates of their fidelity to these sites provided scalars for visual census. Pelagic thresher sharks moved away from the seamount after early morning visits to cleaning stations using swim speeds of 3.79 km h−1 (±SD 1.43). These movements demonstrated that they have access to the jurisdictional waters of five provincial territories when dispersing from and returning to the seamount on a diurnal basis. While the seamount offers cleaner-associated services and refuge provision for pelagic thresher sharks, their scale of movement leaves them vulnerable to fisheries that operate in the region. Natural history observations provide context and reveal bias for their application in the management and conservation of this rare and vulnerable shark species.

Understanding scuba divers' response to coral bleaching: An application of Protection Motivation Theory

Coral reefs are important to the dive experience, suggesting the expected increase in coral bleaching events has the potential to alter global flows of dive tourists. There are a growing number of studies that suggest taking people's estimation of their options and ability to react to a threat into account provides a clearer picture of the decision to respond to a threat. This study applied Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to help understand the motivational factors associated with intended adaptation to coral bleaching. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the effects of threat and coping appraisal variables. This study provided the first empirical evidence of scuba divers' response to marginal reef conditions, indicating that the majority of respondents would significantly alter their behavior in some way. PMT was able to explain between 12.8% and 47.7% of the variance in adaptation intentions, with response efficacy and self-efficacy consistently emerging as the strongest significant predictors. Consideration of multiple adaptation responses demonstrates the variability of model performance and highlights the need to consider the context of adaptation when interpreting results. Implications for future research and the dive tourism industry are discussed.

How shark conservation in the Maldives affects demand for dive tourism

Shark-diving tourism provides important economic benefits to the Maldives. We examine the link between shark conservation actions and economic returns from diving tourism. A combined travel cost and contingent behaviour approach is used to estimate the dive trip demand under different management scenarios. Our results show that increasing shark populations could increase dive-trip demand by 15%, raising dive tourists’ welfare by US$58 million annually. This could result in annual economic benefits for the dive-tourism industry of >US$6 million. Conversely, in scenarios where shark populations decline, where dive tourists observe illegal fishing, or if dive operators lack engagement in shark conservation, dive trip demand could decrease by up to 56%. This decline causes economic losses of more than US$24 million annually to the dive tourism industry. These results highlight the dependence of the shark-diving industry on the creation and enforcement of appropriate management regimes for shark conservation.

Using eOceans diver data to describe contemporary patterns of marine animal populations: A case study of sharks in Thailand

Many marine animals around the world are threatened by a variety of anthropogenic activities, yet there is often a paucity of data to monitor patterns in abundance and distribution or to evaluate human interventions. The new citizen science program eOceans helps to fill this gap by gathering observations of various marine animals from worldwide ocean explorers. In 2012, a dedicated Thailand-wide census of sharks, and other animals, began as a collaboration between eOceans scientists and the dive tourism industry. Using the observations from 9524 dives (9357 h underwater) logged by 169 divers on 153 sites, we describe the spatial and temporal patterns of sharks in coastal Thailand. A total of 12 shark species were encountered, most commonly (67%) as individuals, and were observed on 11% of all dives, on 59% of sites, in all months and years. The two most frequently encountered species were blacktip reef (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and leopard sharks (Stegostoma fasciatum). Many species had peak encounter rates in summer, but aggregated in various seasons in different years. Mating events and nursery sites were rarely observed, and only for blacktip reef and whitetip reef (Triaenodon obesus) sharks. These results could be of value to species- or region-specific biologists, ecologists and fisheries scientists, as well as to managers and policy makers that could use the findings to monitor future trends and prioritize conservation strategies. Moreover, this study highlights the value that collaborative citizen science projects could have in support of marine science, management and conservation efforts worldwide.

Safety Priorities and Underestimations in Recreational Scuba Diving Operations: A European Study Supporting the Implementation of New Risk Management Programmes.

Introduction: Scuba diving is an important marine tourism sector, but requires proper safety standards to reduce the risks and increase accessibility to its market. To achieve safety goals, safety awareness and positive safety attitudes in recreational scuba diving operations are essential. However, there is no published research exclusively focusing on scuba divers’ and dive centres’ perceptions toward safety. This study assessed safety perceptions in recreational scuba diving operations, with the aim to inform and enhance safety and risk management programmes within the scuba diving tourism industry.Materials and Methods: Two structured questionnaire surveys were prepared by the organisation Divers Alert Network and administered online to scuba diving operators in Italy and scuba divers in Europe, using a mixture of convenience and snowball sampling. Questions in the survey included experience and safety offered at the dive centre; the buddy system; equipment and accessories for safe diving activities; safety issues in the certification of new scuba divers; incidents/accidents; and attitudes toward safety.Results: 91 scuba diving centres and 3,766 scuba divers participated in the study. Scuba divers gave importance to safety and the responsiveness of service providers, here represented by the dive centres. However, they underestimated the importance of a personal emergency action/assistance plan and, partly, of the buddy system alongside other safety procedures. Scuba divers agreed that some risks, such as those associated with running out of gas, deserve attention. Dive centres gave importance to aspects such as training and emergency action/assistance plans. However, they were limitedly involved in safety campaigning. Dive centres’ perceptions of safety in part aligned with those of scuba divers, with some exceptions.Conclusion: Greater responsibility is required in raising awareness and educating scuba divers, through participation in prevention campaigns and training. The study supports the introduction of programmes aiming to create a culture of safety among dive centres and scuba divers. Two examples, which are described in this paper, include the Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment protocol for dive centres and scuba divers, and the Diving Safety Officer programme to create awareness, improve risk management, and mitigate health and safety risks.

Using an educational video-briefing to mitigate the ecological impacts of scuba diving

ABSTRACTRecreational scuba diving is rapidly increasing, and the negative impacts to marine reef biota are of conservation concern. Educational approaches have been tested to mitigate diver damage to benthic organisms, but logistical constraints impede their implementation in many locations. We investigated the behaviors of scuba divers in terms of their contacts with benthic organisms, and assessed how an educational video-briefing caused changes in diver behavior. The video provided environmental information to divers, and enhanced their use of low-impact diving techniques. Divers who received the video-briefing exhibited significantly lower rates of contact with and damage to the benthos, than did divers who did not receive a briefing. The level of diving experience did not correlate with the rate of benthic contact in either group of divers. Male divers and photographers both contacted the benthos significantly less, and female divers and photographers both caused significantly less damage when they viewed the video-briefing prior to diving. Our findings highlight the importance of easily implemented, standardized educational approaches such as the use of video-briefings to mitigate the impacts of scuba diving. This study adds to the framework of tested strategies available to support the sustainable use of marine areas by the diving tourism industry.

The political economy of dive tourism: precarity at the periphery in Malaysia

ABSTRACTUsing a critical political economy approach and the concept of labour precarity, the international dive tourism industry in Sabah, Malaysia and its workers’ vulnerabilities are interrogated. Fieldwork data highlights dive tourism's socio-economic impacts and the precarity of labour within the international tourism sector and also critiques it as a development strategy for a peripheral region. The paper challenges the optimistic views of labour precarity found in the existing political economy literature. Rather than identifying labour empowerment, evidence demonstrates significant worker vulnerability, uncertainty, and contingency – especially among ethnic minorities – resulting from Malaysia's state-led rentier economy.

Community perceptions of scuba dive tourism development in Bien Unido, Bohol Island, Philippines

The Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation (CCEF), a Philippine environmental organization, in collaboration with Region 7 municipality leaders from Cebu, Leyte, and Bohol, as well as various financial donors, is striving to improve the marine resource management of the Outer Danajon Bank in the Philippines. One of the goals is to develop scuba dive tourism along the Outer Bank, beginning with the municipality of Bien Unido on Bohol Island. Despite previous efforts to attract investors and tourists by the Bien Unido mayor, dive tourism is currently absent from the municipality. During the summer of 2011, the mayor, the CCEF, and a private real estate developer, agreed to invest in infrastructure and livelihood training in Bien Unido for the purpose of developing a scuba dive tourism industry. This study analyzes current community viewpoints on the development of dive tourism in Bien Unido and four selected dive tourist cites. The study consists of thirty-four qualitative interviews conducted in Bien Unido and four other dive tourist sites as well as 1117 quantitative surveys conducted with community members throughout the central portion of the Philippines (Region 7). This study complements the Danajon Bank Marine Park Project of the CCEF and makes recommendations to improve the management of the Danajon Bank Double Barrier coral reef with protected areas and alternative livelihood projects linked to tourism development. The interviews served to define tourism and to document the specific needs of each barangay, or community, for tourism development. The qualitative survey revealed generally positive attitudes regarding scuba dive tourism development. Nintey-one percent of respondents believe tourism will help the barangay and most would participate in selling food/drink or being a recreational tour guide for tourists. Interview and survey respondents expectations that economic benefits will outweigh any social or environmental challenges, primarily alternative livelihoods and increased revenue for the municipality. Overall, Bien Unido and Region 7 community members will likely welcome visitors to their communities due to the expected benefits regardless of other negative environmental and social externalities such as increases in resource pressures and losses of tradition. Four additional municipalities were selected as “tourism developed sites” to further explore the negative and positive impacts of dive tourism, as perceived by the barangay captains or council, over a range of five to thirty years. These findings revealed challenges that were not mentioned in Bien Unido interviews or in the Region 7 qualitative surveys including changes in the price of living, increases in drug trafficking and sex trade, and private investors controlling community decisions. “As long as tourists like to come, then we want them all. If they will come, we will welcome them all.” Bien Unido interviewee, July 19, 2011

Scuba diving tourism systems and sustainability: Perceptions by the scuba diving industry in two Marine Protected Areas

Scuba diving tourism encourages conservation, generates revenue, and supports local communities. Understanding its interactions with environmental, social, and economic factors is important in the context of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), where dynamics between role players are complex. This study provides insights into the problems affecting the sustainability of the scuba diving tourism industry in two MPAs in Italy and Mozambique. The interactions between the industry and environment, economy, non-monetary aspects, society, governance, and scientific community were investigated via questionnaire surveys and interviews with 20 scuba diving operators. Operators felt the importance of scuba diving to themselves, MPAs, and resident communities, although they lamented limited support to the industry by other stakeholders. Recommendations to enhance sustainability include actions ranging from engagement in planning and management to education and social responsibility. However, the heterogeneity of issues perceived by the industry, reflected in differences between the case studies, calls for ad hoc measures.

Largest global shark biomass found in the northern Galápagos Islands of Darwin and Wolf.

Overfishing has dramatically depleted sharks and other large predatory fishes worldwide except for a few remote and/or well-protected areas. The islands of Darwin and Wolf in the far north of the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) are known for their large shark abundance, making them a global scuba diving and conservation hotspot. Here we report quantitative estimates of fish abundance at Darwin and Wolf over two consecutive years using stereo-video surveys, which reveal the largest reef fish biomass ever reported (17.5 t n}{}{mathrm{ha}}^{-1} on average), consisting largely of sharks. Despite this, the abundance of reef fishes around the GMR, such as groupers, has been severely reduced because of unsustainable fishing practices. Although Darwin and Wolf are within the GMR, they were not fully protected from fishing until March 2016. Given the ecological value and the economic importance of Darwin and Wolf for the dive tourism industry, the current protection should ensure the long-term conservation of this hotspot of unique global value.

Designing and financing optimal enforcement for small-scale fisheries and dive tourism industries

Effective enforcement can reduce the impacts of illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing, resulting in numerous economic, ecological, and social benefits. However, resource managers in small-scale fisheries often lack the expertise and financial resources required to design and implement an effective enforcement system. Here, a bio-economic model is developed to investigate optimal levels of fishery enforcement and financing mechanisms available to recover costs of enforcement. The model is parameterized to represent a small-scale Caribbean lobster fishery, and optimal fishery enforcement levels for three different stakeholder archetypes are considered: (1) a fishing industry only; (2) a dive tourism industry only; and (3) fishing and dive tourism industries. For the illustrative small-scale fishery presented, the optimal level of fishery enforcement decreases with increasing levels of biomass, and is higher when a dive tourism industry is present. Results also indicate that costs of fisheries enforcement can be recovered through a suite of financing mechanisms. However, the timescale over which financing becomes sustainable will depend largely on the current status of the fishery resource. This study may serve as a framework that can be used by resource managers to help design and finance economically optimal fisheries enforcement systems.