The ocean and the marine environments continue to be the fastest-growing areas of the world’s tourism industry, accounting for a significant share of global tourism receipts and arrivals, supporting jobs and economies in more than 70 countries and territories across the world[1]. Indeed, approximately 30 percent of global tourism activities take place in coastal areas […]

Marine tourism can be a powerful tool for conservation and has the potential to protect not only fragile ecosystems but the communities which depend upon them. As oceans around the world succumb to the cascading pressures of climate change, overfishing, pollution, ocean acidification and coral bleaching, areas with active protection become increasingly precious. Marine protected […]

Building equitable and resilient ecosystems and communities in marine World Heritage sites The UN’s World Ocean Assessment in 2021 states that the role of coastal communities is being increasingly valued in ocean conservation and sustainable marine tourism around the world. This is because local communities often play a critical role in the stewardship of the […]

Equity in tourism should include recognising and celebrating diversity while ensuring inclusiveness through benefit-sharing. In coastal and marine tourism, equity should strive for fairness in the access, use and distribution of benefits from tourism development in a fragile environment. This essay will focus on examples from Southeast Asia to illustrate equity issues in coastal and […]

Coastal and marine tourism are recognised as important facets of the blue economy for coastal communities and small island developing states. The blue economy refers to the ‘sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem’[1]. The International Coastal and Marine Tourism Society defines coastal […]