Marine environments have long been places of exploration, subsistence, transport and trade, but it is only recently that marine tourism has extended beyond coastal resorts and beaches. Demand for marine wildlife experiences has grown considerably in recent decades but a corresponding increase in the conservation of these environments as well as adequate legislative and management responses aimed at sustainability has not yet followed. This book demonstrates that through scientific approaches to understanding and managing tourist interactions with marine wildlife, sustainable marine tourism can be achieved. Drawing from disciplines such as marine and conservation biology and behavioral ecology, the effects of human disturbance on marine wildlife as well as management approaches to moderate these impacts are explored. Social science perspectives are also used to understand consumer demand and the ethical and legislative problems that this demand creates. This comprehensive volume provides valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners in marine conservation and tourism.
About the Author:
James Higham holds the position of Professor at the Department of Tourism (University of Otago, New Zealand). His research interests focus on tourism and environmental change. His research has examined tourist interactions with wildlife in an attempt to situate tourism impacts within the wider field of wildlife dynamics, and understand effective approaches to managing tourist engagements with wildlife populations based on an understanding of spatial ecology. He is the editor of Critical Issues in Ecotourism: Understanding a complex tourism phenomenon (Elsevier; Oxford, 2007) and Marine wildlife and tourism management: Insights from the natural and social sciences (CABI: Oxon, 2008). He serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Journal of Ecotourism (both Channel View), Tourism in Marine Environments (Cognizant Corp) and Journal of Sport and Tourism (Francis and Taylor).
Michael Luck is Associate Professor and Head of Department (Tourism & Events) in the School of Hospitality & Tourism at the Auckland University of Technology. His research interests are in the areas of marine tourism, ecotourism, wildlife tourism, interpretation and education, the impacts of tourism, gay tourism, and aviation. Michael has extensive industry experience, working with travel agencies, a large package tour operator, as tour guide and for a campervan rental company. His is the founding editor of Tourism in Marine Environments, and associate editor of the Journal of Ecotourism. He has published in academic journals, and recently edited and co-edited The Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments (CABI), Marine Wildlife and Tourism Management: Insights from the natural and social sciences (CABI) and Nautical Tourism: Concepts and Issues (Cognizant).
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