Life below water; challenges for tourism partnerships in achieving ocean literacy

Abstract

Healthy oceans are of great importance in achieving global sustainability, and are thus identified as one of the core Sustainable Development Goals in ‘Life below Water’ (SDG 14). However, at present, we still face a significant challenge in achieving lay understanding of the influence of the oceans on our lives and the impacts of our behaviour on it. As a key interface, marine ecotourism can support the development of place-based ocean literacy, but this can only be achieved through ‘effective partnerships’ (SDG 17). This paper examines how stakeholder collaboration can contribute to increased ocean literacy through empirical work on scuba diving in Mallorca, Spain. Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted with divers and other key stakeholders (operators, scientists, government, NGOs, and professional associations). Adopting stakeholder models based on pentahelix opportunities for collaboration we analyse the current challenges. The study identified a sector which currently lacks effective partnerships: there is limited systematic transfer of knowledge; staff are poorly trained in interpretation and communication skills; there is weak industry collaboration; and the sector is neglected in government tourism strategy. Consequently, the current structure fails to connect divers to marine issues in the Mediterranean Sea. Nevertheless, suitable conditions for developing effective partnerships are present: motivated staff and suitable facilities; interested authorities; an active network of knowledge production; and a vigilant society. This paper proposes a multi-stakeholder structure to put place-based ocean literacy into practice in order to contribute to the aspirations of improved global ocean awareness.

Keywords:

• Ocean literacy
• ecotourism
• scuba diving
• sense-of-place
• stakeholders
• partnerships

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Olga Garcia

Dr. Olga Garcia is an ecologist specialized in ecotourism, particularly marine wildlife tourism and their place-based narrative (place meaning). Her research centres on the exploration of the quadruple bottom line of the ecotourism: economy, society, environment and climate emergency. Her career is based on international experience in Latin America and Europe; with a diversity of projects relating to local communities and a wide variety of natural heritage. Dr. Garcia has worked on projects for UNESCO-Quito with the MAB program in the Sumaco and Yasuní Biosphere Reserves; the World Heritage Convention in the Galapagos Maritime Reserve; tourism impacts on the coast (BID-Costa Rican Government) and other tourism interactions as marine turtle’s tours in Costa Rica. In Europe, she has been involved in works of rural development through landscape (Environment Department of Spanish Government) and heritage interpretation and environment for local authorities, enterprises and NGO’s. Her academic career begins in Aberystwyth University (UK) in the School of Management and Business with research studies focused on ocean literacy in recreation and continues in Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC-Spain). Currently, Dr. Olga Garcia is an independent researcher with collaborations with organizations such as Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve. She is member of TAPAS group of WCPA –UICN.

Carl Cater

Dr. Carl Cater is an Associate Professor in Tourism at Swansea University in Wales, and his research centers on the experiential turn in tourism and the growth of special interest sectors, particularly adventure tourism and ecotourism. He has written over fifty papers and book chapters, is co-author of Marine Ecotourism: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (CABI, 2007) and editor of the Encyclopaedia of Sustainable Tourism (CABI, 2015). Dr Cater is also an editorial board member of Tourist Studies, Tourism Geographies, Journal of Ecotourism and Tourism in Marine Environments. He has supervised many PhD students and examined theses globally. Dr Cater has travelled to over 80 countries and undertaken field research, supervision, curriculum oversight and teaching worldwide, including Australia, China, Malta, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Tibet and Vanuatu. He has worked on projects for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, NSW Department of Education, the World Tourism and Travel Council, Gold Coast City Council, Tourism Queensland and the Tourism Society. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, a qualified pilot, diver, lifesaver, mountain and tropical forest leader, and maintains an interest in both the practice and pursuit of sustainable outdoor tourism activity.