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.

KEYWORDS:

• external risks
• iSimangaliso Wetland Park
• marine tourism
• scuba diving industry

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

D. Dimopoulos

Dimitri Dimopoulos is a risk and compliance manager at James Cook University - world-renowned for its contribution to the field of marine science and tropical medicine. He holds a Master of Commerce. His career has focused on organisational and digital transformation in the Higher Education, Finance, Banking, Mining, and Government industries. His research interests cover the sustainable use of coral reefs, marine tourism, risk management, and Blue Economy.

D. Queiros

Dorothy Queiros is a senior lecturer in Tourism Management inthe Department of Applied Management at the University of South Africa.She holds a PhD in Environmental Management. Her research interests include community-based tourism, sustainable tourism development and community pro-conservation attitudes and behaviour towards protected areas.

C. Van Zyl

Professor Cina van Zyl is a board member of the International Tourism studies Association (ITSA). She is affiliated to the University of South Africa's College of Economic and Management Sciences. Her research focus covers a wide spectrum with applications in tourism, travel, festival, and events.