Nature-based tourism and behavior for household waste reduction: Divers and non-divers

Marine environments are currently threatened by marine litter originating in offshore marine structures and land-based sources. Moreover, debris is directly related to anthropogenic activities, particularly poor waste management practices, and natural disasters. Taking scuba diving as nature-based tourism activity in a popular tourism destination in Mexico, for a period of 66 days, 181 American divers were assessed as regards their behavior in the home regarding plastic use and food waste production. Certified divers registered their behavior ona Likert-type scale, and the information was compared with non-divers participating in try-dives, or taking training levels for certification. In general, both groups have registered good waste-management practices, although, certified divers show evidence of adopting better practices in the home in order to reduce waste, probably because they are aware of the benefits for the environment