Global economic impact of scuba dive tourism

Abstract

Ecotourism presents an opportunity to provide equitable benefits to local communities; serve as a platform for environmental education; and can be leveraged to support conservation initiatives, shifting away from traditional mass tourism and other forms of unsustainable marine use. Marine ecotourism sectors, such as scuba diving, whale and shark watching are increasingly important for local economies but their aggregate benefits are often overlooked in global ocean economy discussions. Here, we present a first estimation of the global economic value of scuba diving, including 11,500 identified scuba dive operators across the world. Based on an online operator survey, we estimate global annual revenue (direct diving expenditure in 2019) at between 0.9–3.2 billion USD per year, and the broader economic impact (direct and indirect expenditure) at between 8.5 and 20.4 billion USD per year. Marine tourism is one of the largest sectors in the ocean economy, and with 8.9–13.6 million marine diving tourists worldwide supporting up to 124,000 jobs, the scuba diving sector could be at the forefront of transformative change for local and global ocean equity and sustainability.

A Fuzzy-based method for artificial reefs site selection- Case Study: Kish Island, the Persian Gulf

“…Marine tourism is the largest sector contributing to the ocean economy and with 8.9-13.6 million marine diving tourists support up to 124,000 jobs worldwide (Schuhbauer et al 2023). Yet, marine tourism can introduce pollution and destroy coral structures due to boat tra c noise and anchoring (Ferrari et al, 2018).…”

Dive industry perspectives on the threats to coral reefs: A comparative study across four Asia-Pacific countries

“…Coral reefs provide important ecosystem services, including a tourism industry worth billions of dollars annually. High in biodiversity and aesthetic appeal, coral reefs provide the foundation of the Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) dive industry, which is one of the world's fastest-growing leisure activities (Ong & Musa, 2012, Schuhbauer et al, 2023. The uniqueness and abundance of marine life are important drivers of SCUBA tourism (Apps, Heagney, Ngoc, Dimmock, & Benkendorff, 2023).…”

“…The uniqueness and abundance of marine life are important drivers of SCUBA tourism (Apps, Heagney, Ngoc, Dimmock, & Benkendorff, 2023). Recognised as a biodiverse coral hotspot, Southeast Asia has become a leading recreational SCUBA diving destination (Dimmock & Musa, 2015, Schuhbauer et al, 2023. Thus, SCUBA dive tourism is an important source of income for many regions in Southeast Asia (Tuntipisitkul & Fuchs, 2023).…”