Tourist traps : assessing the role of tourism in sustaining life below water

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are often heralded as the solution to issues associated with the overexploitation of natural resources. There are extensive international targets for the declaration of MPAs, which are likely unachievable. However, these targets drive countries to make quick and often short-sighted decisions regarding MPA development, encouraging a quantity over quality approach. As a result, numerous targets are yet to be met as per the 2030 timeline, and the proposed interventions to fulfil these targets have, in some instances, impeded conservation, negatively impacting local people. The time-lag between the declaration of MPAs and the recovery of previously overexploited populations can be upwards of a decade, and this success depends entirely on local community buy-in. As a method of encouraging community engagement, marine tourism is often proposed as an alternative livelihood strategy. Nevertheless, MPA declaration continues, expecting that they will support both communities and their environment. Tourism has its own impacts. This study explores the realities and contexts of the interactions between communities, tourism and MPAs. Particular focus is placed on the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.7 ‘increase the economic benefits from sustainable use of marine resources’. We examine some case-studies from Southeast Asia to evaluate the synergistic relationship between tourism, communities and effective environmental management. Critically, we examine how marine tourism can support livelihoods to the degree required to minimise marine environmental degradation and sufficiently meet SDG 14 in order to ‘sustain life below water’