Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Coastal and Ocean Tourism

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Handbook on Marine Environment Protection

Abstract

Coastal and marine environments attract hundreds of millions of tourists every year, and in regions including the Mediterranean or the Caribbean, tourism is a mainstay of the economy. Given that a considerable share of tourism is ‘sun, sand, and sea’ focused, the sector is dependent on the integrity of coastal resources such as unpolluted beaches and waters. These resources are increasingly threatened: External and tourism-related pressures on coastal zones include land conversion and industrial developments, water pollution, loss of mangroves, introduction of invasive species, and overuse of resources (e.g., fresh water or marine species used as seafood and souvenirs). Climate change is exacerbating these problems through sea-level rise, changing rainfall patterns, or higher water temperatures linked to coral bleaching and algal blooms, all of which affect the viability of coastal tourism destinations. In this situation, the management of coastal ecosystems for tourism is paramount. Yet, even though a wide range of management tools is theoretically available, there is evidence that coastal governance is limited and hampered by economic interests and unequal power relations. Considerable political effort will be needed for tourism in coastal zones to become more sustainable and to adapt to on-going environmental change.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Andersson K, Brynolf S, Lindgren J, Wilewska-Bien M (eds) (2016) Shipping and the environment: improving environmental performance in marine transportation. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Apostolopoulos Y, Gayle DJ (eds) (2002) Island tourism and sustainable development: Caribbean, Pacific, and Mediterranean experiences. Praeger Publishers, Westport

    Google Scholar 

  • Bramwell B (ed) (2004) Coastal mass tourism: diversification and sustainable development in Southern Europe. Channel View Publications, Clevedon

    Google Scholar 

  • Butt N (2007) The impact of cruise ship generated waste on home ports and ports of call: a study of Southampton. Mar Policy 31:591–598

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cambers G (2009) Caribbean beach changes and climate change adaptation. Aquat Ecosyst Health Manage 12(2):168–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caric H (2011) Cruising tourism environmental impacts: case study of Dubrovnik, Croatia. J Coast Res Spec Issue 61(Winter):104–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cater C, Cater E (2007) Marine ecotourism: between the devil and the deep blue sea. CABI, Wallingford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Chhetri P, Corcoran R, Hall CM (2008) Modelling the patterns and drivers of tourism related employment for South East Queensland, Australia—a spatial econometric approach. Tourism Recreation Res 33(1):25–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Craig-Smith SJ, Tapper R, Font X (2006) The coastal and marine environment. In: Gössling S, Hall CM (eds) Tourism and global environmental change: ecological, economic, social and political interrelationships. Routledge, London, pp 107–127

    Google Scholar 

  • Cruise Lines International Association (2015) 2015 CLIA state of the industry. CLIA, Arlington

    Google Scholar 

  • Drake JM, Lodge DM (2007) Hull fouling is a risk factor for intercontinental species exchange in aquatic ecosystems. Aquat Invasions 2:121–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Endresen O, Behrens HL, Brynestad S, Anderson AB, Skjong R (2004) Challenges in global ballast water management. Mar Pollut Bull 48:615–623

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Essex S, Kent M, Newnham R (2004) Tourism development in Mallorca. Is water supply a constraint? J Sustain Tour 12(1):4–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrod B, Gössling S (eds) (2007) New frontiers in marine tourism: diving experiences, management and sustainability. Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • GFANC (German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation) (1997) Biodiversity and tourism. Conflicts on the world’s seacoasts and strategies for their solution. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Gheskiere T, Vincx M, Weslawski JM, Scapini F, Degraer S (2005) Meiofauna as descriptor of tourism-induced changes at sandy beaches. Mar Environ Res 60(2):245–265

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gormsen E (1997) The impact of tourism on coastal areas. GeoJournal 42(1):39–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gössling S (ed) (2003) Tourism and development in tropical islands: political ecology perspectives. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham

    Google Scholar 

  • Gössling S, Kunkel T, Schumacher K, Zilger M (2004) Use of molluscs, fish, and other marine taxa by tourism in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Biodivers Conserv 13(14):2623–2639

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gössling S, Hall CM, Scott D (2009) The challenges of tourism as a development strategy in an era of global climate change. In: Palosou E (ed) Rethinking development in a carbon-constrained world. Development cooperation and climate change. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Helsinki, pp 100–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Gössling S, Garrod B, Aall C, Hille J, Peeters P (2011) Food management in tourism: reducing tourism’s carbon ‘foodprint’. Tour Manag 32(3):534–543

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gössling S, Peeters P, Hall CM, Dubois G, Ceron JP, Lehmann L, Scott D (2012) Tourism and water use: supply, demand, and security. An international review. Tour Manag 33(1):1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gössling S, Hall CM, Scott D (2015) Tourism and water. Channel View Publications, Clevedon

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall CM (2001) Trends in ocean and coastal tourism: the end of the last frontier? Ocean Coastal Manage 44:601–618

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall CM (2010) Tourism and environmental change in polar regions: impacts, climate change and biological invasion. In: Hall CM, Saarinen J (eds) Tourism and change in polar regions: climate, environments and experiences. Routledge, Abingdon, pp 42–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall CM (2011) Climate change and its impact on tourism: regional assessments, knowledge gaps and issues. In: Jones A, Phillips M (eds) Disappearing destinations. Climate change and future challenges for coastal tourism. CAB International, Wallingford, pp 10–29

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hall CM (2015a) Tourism and biological exchange and invasions: a missing dimension in sustainable tourism? Tour Recreat Res 40(1):81–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall CM (2015b) Global change, islands and sustainable development: Islands of sustainability or analogues of the challenge of sustainable development? In: Redclift M, Springett D (eds) Routledge international handbook of sustainable development. Routledge, Abingdon, pp 55–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall CM, James M, Wilson S (2010) Biodiversity, biosecurity, and cruising in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. J Heritage Tourism 5(4):351–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall CM, Baird T, James M, Ram Y (2016) Climate change and cultural heritage: conservation and heritage tourism in the Anthropocene. J Heritage Tourism 11(1):10–24

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hänninen S, Sassi J (2009) Estimated nutrient load from waste waters originating from ships in the Baltic Sea area –Updated 2009. Report commissioned by the Finnish maritime administration. Espo: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

    Google Scholar 

  • Harriott VJ (2002) Marine tourism impacts and their management on the great barrier reef. CRC Reef Research Centre Technical Report No. 46. Available: http://crcreef.jcu.edu.au/publications/techreport/pdf/Harriott46.pdf. Accessed 18 June 2013

  • Herz M (2002) Cruise control. A report on how cruise ships affect the marine environment. The Ocean Conservancy, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoegh-Guldberg O, Mumby PJ, Hooten AJ, Steneck RS, Greenfield P, Gomez E, Harvell CD, Sale PF, Edwards AJ, Caldeira K, Knowlton N, Eakin CM, Iglesias-Prieto R, Muthiga N, Bradbury RH, Dubi A, Hatziolos ME (2007) Coral reefs under rapid climate change and ocean acidification. Science 318:1737–1742

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hübner A, Gössling S (2012) Tourist perceptions of extreme weather events in Martinique. J Dest Mark Manage 1:47–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunter C, Green H (1995) Tourism and the environment: a sustainable relationship? Routledge, London

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2007) Climate change 2007: the physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones R (2010) A risk management approach to climate change adaptation. In: Nottage R, Wratt D, Bornman J, Jones K (eds) Climate change adaptation in New Zealand: future scenarios and some sectoral perspectives. New Zealand Climate Change Centre, Wellington, pp 10–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones AL, Phillips MR (eds) (2011) Disappearing destinations: climate change and future challenges for coastal tourism. CABI, Wallingford

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaján E, Saarinen J (2013) Tourism, climate change and adaptation: a review. Curr Issue Tour 16(2):167–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klein CJ, Ferrari R (2015) Walk the talk, don't eat it: a call for sustainable seafood leadership from marine scientists. Environ Conserv 42(02):102–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuoni (2013) Kuoni water management manual for hotels. http://www.kuoni.com/docs/kuoni_wmp_manual_0.pdf. Accessed 20 Nov 2013

  • Markus T, Huhn K, Bischof K (2015) The quest for sea-floor integrity. Nat Geosci 8:163–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Millenium Assessment (2005) Living beyond our means: natural assets and human well-being. Available: http://www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.429.aspx.pdf. Accessed 20 Mar 2016

  • Moksness E, Dahl E, Støttrup J (2009) Integrated coastal zone management. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Molnar JL, Gamboa RL, Revenga C, Spalding MD (2008) Assessing the global threat of invasive species to marine biodiversity. Front Ecol Environ 6:485–492

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Musa G, Dimmock K (eds) (2013) Scuba diving tourism. Routledge, Abingdon

    Google Scholar 

  • Mycoo M (2014) Sustainable tourism, climate change and sea level rise adaptation policies in Barbados. Nat Res Forum 38(1):47–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nunn PD (2013) The end of the Pacific? Effects of sea level rise on Pacific Island livelihoods. Singapore J Trop Geogr 34:143–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orams M (1999) Marine tourism: development, impacts and management. Routledge, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Rico-Amoros AM, Olcina-Cantos J, Sauri D (2009) Tourist land use patterns and water demand: evidence from the Western Mediterranean. Land Use Policy 26(2):493–501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts CM (2002) Deep impact: the rising toll of fishing in the deep sea. Trends Ecol Evol 17(5):242–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rutty M, Scott D (2013) Differential climate preferences of international beach tourists. Climate Res 57(3):259–269

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rutty M, Scott D (2015) Bioclimatic comfort and the thermal perceptions and preferences of beach tourists. Int J Biometeorol 59(1):37–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott D, Hall CM, Gössling S (2012a) Tourism and climate change: impacts, adaptation and mitigation. Routledge, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott D, Simpson MC, Sim R (2012b) The vulnerability of Caribbean coastal tourism to scenarios of climate change related sea level rise. J Sustain Tour 20(6):883–898

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharpley R, Telfer DJ (eds) (2014) Tourism and development: concepts and issues. Channel View Publications, Bristol

    Google Scholar 

  • UNEP (2009) Report on the seminar "Coastal tourism in the mediterranean: adapting to climate change". Cagliari (Sardinia), Italy, 8–10 June 2009. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), République Française – Ministère de l’Écologie, du Développement et de l’Aménagement durables, United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Priority Actions Programme, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • UNWTO (2007) Compendium of tourism statistics. World Tourism Organisation, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • UNWTO (2015) Tourism highlights. Available: http://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284416899. Accessed 16 Mar 2016

  • UNWTO (2016) International tourist arrivals up 4% reach a record 1.2 billion in 2015. Available: http://Media.unwto.Org/Press-release/2016-01-18/international-tourist-arrivals-4-reach-record-12-billion-2015. Accessed 16 Mar 2016

  • UNWTO-UNEP-WMO (2008) Climate change and tourism: responding to global challenges. United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO), UNWTO, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • Wong PP (1998) Coastal tourism development in Southeast Asia: relevance and lessons for coastal zone management. Ocean Coastal Manage 38:89–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wong PP (2003) Tourism development and the coastal environment on Bintan Island. In: Gössling S (ed) Tourism and development in Tropical Islands: political ecology perspectives. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp 263–282

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Service Management and Service Studies, Lund University & School of Business and Economics, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden

    Stefan Gössling

  2. Department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

    C. Michael Hall

  3. Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    Daniel Scott

Authors
  1. Stefan Gössling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. Michael Hall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Daniel Scott
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stefan Gössling .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. German Advisory Council on the Environment, Berlin, Germany

    Markus Salomon

  2. University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Till Markus

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Gössling, S., Hall, C.M., Scott, D. (2018). Coastal and Ocean Tourism. In: Salomon, M., Markus, T. (eds) Handbook on Marine Environment Protection . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60156-4_40

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation