Nature dependent tourism – Combining big data and local knowledge. (1st July 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Spalding, Mark D.; Longley-Wood, Kate; McNulty, Valerie Pietsch; Constantine, Sherry; Acosta-Morel, Montserrat; Anthony, Val; Cole, Aaron D.; Hall, Giselle; Nickel, Barry A.; Schill, Steven R.; Schuhmann, Peter W.; Tanner, Darren
• Is Part Of: Journal of environmental management. Volume 337(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-07-01
• Subjects: Blue economy -- User-generated content -- Ecosystem services -- Eastern caribbean -- Nature dependent tourism -- Wildlife tourism; Environmental policy -- Periodicals; Environmental management -- Periodicals; Environment -- Periodicals; Ecology -- Periodicals; 363.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117696
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0301-4797

Abstract

Abstract: The ability to quantify nature's value for tourism has significant implications for natural resource management and sustainable development policy. This is especially true in the Eastern Caribbean, where many countries are embracing the concept of the Blue Economy. The utilization of user-generated content (UGC) to understand tourist activities and preferences, including the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches, remains at the early stages of development and application. This work describes a new effort which has modelled and mapped multiple nature dependent sectors of the tourism industry across five small island nations. It makes broad use of UGC, while acknowledging the challenges and strengthening the approach with substantive input, correction, and modification from local experts. Our approach to measuring the nature-dependency of tourism is practical and scalable, producing data, maps and statistics of sufficient detail and veracity to support sustainable resource management, marine spatial planning, and the wider promotion of the Blue Economy framework. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: User-generated content and local knowledge are combined to map nature dependency. Nature shapes tourism value over a large spatial footprint in 5 Caribbean nations. Reef-based activities drive over 8% of expenditure, over $118 million annually. Environmental declines in beaches could lead to a loss of 17% of current visitors. Further maps cover recreational fishing, paddle-sports, bird- and whale-watching.