Coastal tourism generates every year around 5.5 trillion dollars, representing about 5% of global GDP, employing 174 million people. Given the growth trajectory, the sector could become the largest segment of the Blue Economy by 2030.
The conclusion is presented in the report “World Ocean Assessement III”, the United Nations’ main assessment of the state of the oceans. The chapter dedicated to coastal tourism and the potential of the oceans in driving tourism included the participation of Antónia Correia, a professor at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Algarve and president of the board of the collaborative laboratory KIPT. On the Portuguese side, the list of authors of this chapter also includes Adriana Ressurreição, from the University of the Azores.
Despite the relevance of coastal tourism, researchers warn that the sector’s growth remains linked to the degradation of marine and coastal ecosystems that underpin the very tourist activity.
According to the data presented, the energy production associated with coastal and ocean tourism generated about 1.57 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2023. In the specific case of the cruise industry, emissions could reach 80 million tonnes of CO2e by 2030. Projections indicate an annual growth in the number of passengers of around 6%, a pace that, according to specialists, could offset part of the gains obtained through improved carbon efficiency.
The report also identifies significant impacts on marine and coastal ecosystems, including habitat degradation, pollution, disturbance of sensitive species and the expansion of infrastructures in territories particularly vulnerable to coastal erosion, to sea-level rise and to the effects of climate change.
One of the main alerts of the “World Ocean Assessment III” concerns the fact that the economic value of marine natural capital remains broadly absent from conventional financial metrics. The researchers warn that this reality prevents many of the costs associated with environmental degradation from being considered in investment, planning and tourism development processes.
The scientific team presents concrete examples of this reality. In 2018, an episode of harmful algal blooms in Florida (United States of America) caused losses estimated at 2.7 billion dollars for the tourism sector. The researchers consider that this case is a “clear example” of the economic costs associated with the degradation of marine ecosystems.
The report’s conclusions show, however, that it is possible to reconcile economic growth with ocean conservation. Models of tourism which, in addition to not having negative impacts on Nature, contribute positively to its conservation and regeneration, and initiatives developed in close collaboration with local communities have, according to the researchers, higher economic value per visitor and exert less pressure on ecosystems.
In some Southeast Asian countries, for example, tourism associated with shark and ray watching already accounts for around 7% of national marine tourism revenues and shows strong growth potential.
The report also highlights the role of instruments such as tourist taxes, environmental taxes and incentives for experiences with smaller volume and higher added value. Scientific evidence shows that these measures contribute to financing protected areas, strengthening the conservation of ecosystems and reducing emissions, without compromising the attractiveness of destinations, argue the authors of the text.
Generally, the conclusions of the “World Ocean Assessment III” show that the persistence of current mass tourism models does not result so much from technical limitations, but rather from “governance challenges and the limited integration of natural capital into economic decisions.”
“Science shows that continuing to expand coastal tourism according to the current models means compromising the very ecological and economic foundations of the sector,” concludes the scientific team responsible for the chapter dedicated to Coastal and Blue Tourism. “The transition to models aligned with the World Ocean Assessment is not only desirable, it is a condition for the future viability of the ocean economy.”
