Whale Watching as Ecotourism

How Sustainable is it

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2641806
AutoresStephen Wearing (0000-0002-5158-059X, University of Technology Sydney, autor de correspondencia), Stephen Leslie Wearing, Paul A Cunningham (Rikkyo University), Stephen Schweinsberg (0000-0002-8820-8302, University of Technology Sydney), Chantelle Jobberns (University of Technology Sydney)
Año2014
Volumen6
Número1
Páginas38-55
Fecha de publicación2014-02-19
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaCosmopolitan Civil Societies An Interdisciplinary Journal (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1837-5391 • E-ISSN: 1837-5391
EditorialUniversity of Technology, Sydney (UTS) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.5130/ccs.v6i1.3714
OpenAlexW2023732529
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas4
Referencias citadas16

Australia has long tried to portray itself as an environmentally responsible state and has consistently been a strong supporter of Whale Watching as an alternative to the practice of commercial and 'scientific' whaling. This paper explores whale watching in an effort to determine the economic and social viability of it as a sustainable marine tourism activity -and whether in the future the whale and the tourist can coexist or will the latter as with previous human activities such as whaling yet again create a 'tragedy of the commons' and displace the former. As an ecotourism product, whale watching holds the potential for sustainable practice, one that is both ecological and profitable. Responsible whale watching is seen as a clean, green industry that simultaneously supports local economies and promotes whale education and conservation. The question is can it live up to these expectations

Business · Commodification · Commons · Economics · Economy · Ecotourism · Environmental ethics · Fishery · Political science · Sustainability · Tourism · Tragedy of the commons · Whale · Whaling · Wildlife tourism · Law · Marine animal studies overview · Ecology