Sustainability in whale-watching: A literature review and future research directions based on regenerative tourism

• Published in: Tourism management perspectives Vol. 47; p. 101120
• Main Authors: Suárez-Rojas, Chaitanya, González Hernández, Matías M., León, Carmelo J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-06-2023
• Subjects: Ecological impacts; Economic drivers; Human change; Human-ecological management; Macro-cultural discourse; Regenerative tourism; Sustainability; Tourism demand; Whale-watching tourism; Macro-cultural discourse; Ecological impacts; Sustainability; Human-ecological management; Tourism demand; Whale-watching tourism; Regenerative tourism; Economic drivers; Human change
• ISSN: 2211-9736; 2211-9744; 2211-9744
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tmp.2023.101120

There is scientific consensus that human activity through whale-watching is causing an increasing amount of damage to the natural environment, which poses critical challenges to the goal of sustainability. Based on a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the scientific literature, this study calls for urgent rethinking in regards to whale-watching sustainability. A new, integrative framework for research actions built upon the concept of regenerative tourism is provided so as to lead to a more balanced evaluation of environmentally and socially responsible whale-watching tourism. The assessment of the literature review leads to three main research areas that have driven the research field in whale-watching tourism: the ecological responses of cetaceans due to human disturbance, the determinants of whale-watching tourism demand, and the impact of tourism on sustainability from macro-cultural and political perspectives. The new integrative framework, which additionally considers innovation and external drivers as prominent research areas, proposes future guidelines for studying the interplay between some of the more specific research topics: social change, economic drivers, gender perspective, co-creation, social responsibility, technology, climate change and long-term cumulative effects, among other issues of concern.
•Postulates urgent rethinking of whale-watching sustainability.•A scientific literature review is conducted utilising quantitative and qualitative meta-evaluation.•Ecological impacts, tourism demand and macro-cultural effects on sustainability have driven research.•An integrative framework for research actions built upon the concept of regenerative tourism is provided.•Regenerative guidelines revolve around ecological impacts, human dimension, innovation and external drivers.