IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/natres/v44y2020i2p111-128.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Nature‐based marine tourism in the Gulf of California and Baja California Peninsula: Economic benefits and key species

Author

Listed:
  • Andrés M Cisneros‐Montemayor
  • Amanda Townsel
  • Claire M Gonzales
  • Andrea R Haas
  • Estrella E Navarro‐Holm
  • Teresa Salorio‐Zuñiga
  • Andrew F Johnson

Abstract

Ecotourism can incentivize social and environmental benefits through marine conservation, in parallel with efforts to better manage fisheries, coastal development, and other human pressures. In Mexico's Gulf of California and Baja California Peninsula (GCBP), marine ecosystems support tourism activities in many communities, but to date there have been no region‐wide studies to estimate their benefits or identify key species. Based on data collected in this study, each year nature‐based marine tourism in the GCBP results in 896,000 visits, US$518 million in expenditures and at least 3,575 direct jobs from formal operations. In interviews with operators, over 40 species groups were named as important; sea lions, whale sharks, whales, and marlin were the highest ranked, highlighting the importance of ecosystem‐wide health for nature‐based tourism sustainability. Local employment and the ability to make economic and conservation goals compatible were noted by operators as significant opportunities provided by nature‐based marine tourism; challenges included pollution and declines in ecosystem health, a lack of infrastructure, poor resource management policies, and high operating costs. As nature‐based marine tourism expands, a wider transition to true ecotourism, a focus on equitable benefits and collaboration between stakeholders and a cross‐scale and ecosystem approach to management will be vital for achieving potential sustainable social, ecological and economic benefits.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrés M Cisneros‐Montemayor & Amanda Townsel & Claire M Gonzales & Andrea R Haas & Estrella E Navarro‐Holm & Teresa Salorio‐Zuñiga & Andrew F Johnson, 2020. "Nature‐based marine tourism in the Gulf of California and Baja California Peninsula: Economic benefits and key species," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 44(2), pages 111-128, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:natres:v:44:y:2020:i:2:p:111-128
    DOI: 10.1111/1477-8947.12193
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-8947.12193
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/1477-8947.12193?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Field, John C. & Francis, Robert C., 2006. "Considering ecosystem-based fisheries management in the California Current," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 552-569, September.
    2. Bennett, Nathan & Lemelin, Raynald Harvey & Koster, Rhonda & Budke, Isabel, 2012. "A capital assets framework for appraising and building capacity for tourism development in aboriginal protected area gateway communities," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 752-766.
    3. Susannah S French & Manuela González-Suárez & Julie K Young & Susan Durham & Leah R Gerber, 2011. "Human Disturbance Influences Reproductive Success and Growth Rate in California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(3), pages 1-8, March.
    4. Cisneros-Montemayor, Andrés M. & Cisneros-Mata, Miguel A. & Harper, Sarah & Pauly, Daniel, 2013. "Extent and implications of IUU catch in Mexico's marine fisheries," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 283-288.
    5. Andrés Cisneros-Montemayor & U. Sumaila, 2010. "A global estimate of benefits from ecosystem-based marine recreation: potential impacts and implications for management," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 12(3), pages 245-268, October.
    6. Ram Shrestha & John Loomis, 2003. "Meta-Analytic Benefit Transfer of Outdoor Recreation Economic Values: Testing Out-of-Sample Convergent Validity," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 25(1), pages 79-100, May.
    7. Schwoerer, Tobias & Knowler, Duncan & Garcia-Martinez, Salvador, 2016. "The value of whale watching to local communities in Baja, Mexico: A case study using applied economic rent theory," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 90-101.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shannon E Murphy & Ian Campbell & Joshua A Drew, 2018. "Examination of tourists’ willingness to pay under different conservation scenarios; Evidence from reef manta ray snorkeling in Fiji," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(8), pages 1-15, August.
    2. Sarah Harper & Marina Adshade & Vicky W Y Lam & Daniel Pauly & U Rashid Sumaila, 2020. "Valuing invisible catches: Estimating the global contribution by women to small-scale marine capture fisheries production," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, March.
    3. Andrés M. Cisneros‐Montemayor & Sarah Harper & Travis C. Tai, 2018. "The market and shadow value of informal fish catch: a framework and application to Panama," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(2), pages 83-92, May.
    4. Espinoza-Tenorio, Alejandro & Espejel, Ileana & Wolff, Matthias, 2015. "From adoption to implementation? An academic perspective on Sustainable Fisheries Management in a developing country," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 252-260.
    5. Timothy K Marcella & Scott M Gende & Daniel D Roby & Arthur Allignol, 2017. "Disturbance of a rare seabird by ship-based tourism in a marine protected area," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(5), pages 1-23, May.
    6. Speers, Ann E. & Besedin, Elena Y. & Palardy, James E. & Moore, Chris, 2016. "Impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on coral reef fisheries: An integrated ecological–economic model," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 33-43.
    7. Spash, Clive L. & Vatn, Arild, 2006. "Transferring environmental value estimates: Issues and alternatives," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(2), pages 379-388, December.
    8. Andrew Balmford & Jonathan M H Green & Michael Anderson & James Beresford & Charles Huang & Robin Naidoo & Matt Walpole & Andrea Manica, 2015. "Walk on the Wild Side: Estimating the Global Magnitude of Visits to Protected Areas," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(2), pages 1-6, February.
    9. Bergstrom, John C. & Taylor, Laura O., 2006. "Using meta-analysis for benefits transfer: Theory and practice," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(2), pages 351-360, December.
    10. Zandersen, Marianne & Tol, Richard S.J., 2009. "A meta-analysis of forest recreation values in Europe," Journal of Forest Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(1-2), pages 109-130, January.
    11. Bui Bich Xuan & Erlend Dancke Sandorf, 2020. "Potential for Sustainable Aquaculture: Insights from Discrete Choice Experiments," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 77(2), pages 401-421, October.
    12. Serge Mandiefe Piabuo & Peter A. Minang & Chupezi Julius Tieguhong & Divine Foundjem-Tita & Frankline Nghobuoche, 2021. "Illegal logging, governance effectiveness and carbon dioxide emission in the timber-producing countries of Congo Basin and Asia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(10), pages 14176-14196, October.
    13. Wehner, Nicholas & Mackay, Mary & Jennings, Sarah & van Putten, E.I. & Sibly, Hugh & Yamazaki, Satoshi, 2018. "When push comes to shove in recreational fishing compliance, think ‘nudge’," MarXiv 2fyuc, Center for Open Science.
    14. De Salvo, Maria & Signorello, Giovanni, 2015. "Non-market valuation of recreational services in Italy: A meta-analysis," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 16(C), pages 47-62.
    15. Shuang Liu & David I Stern, 2008. "A Meta-Analysis of Contingent Valuation Studies in Coastal and Near-Shore Marine Ecosystems," Socio-Economics and the Environment in Discussion (SEED) Working Paper Series 2008-15, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems.
    16. Sundt, Swantje & Rehdanz, Katrin, 2015. "Consumers' willingness to pay for green electricity: A meta-analysis of the literature," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1-8.
    17. Lara M. Lundsgaard-Hansen & Flurina Schneider & Julie G. Zaehringer & Christoph Oberlack & Win Myint & Peter Messerli, 2018. "Whose Agency Counts in Land Use Decision-Making in Myanmar? A Comparative Analysis of Three Cases in Tanintharyi Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-30, October.
    18. Saúl Torres-Ortega & Rubén Pérez-Álvarez & Pedro Díaz-Simal & Julio Manuel De Luis-Ruiz & Felipe Piña-García, 2018. "Economic Valuation of Cultural Heritage: Application of Travel Cost Method to the National Museum and Research Center of Altamira," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-13, July.
    19. Despina Sdrali & Maria Goussia-Rizou & Pinelopi Kiourtidou, 2015. "Residents’ perception of tourism development as a vital step for participatory tourism plan: a research in a Greek protected area," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 923-939, August.
    20. Nadhéra Babali & Mohamed Kacher & Dyhia Belhabib & Ferial Louanchi & Daniel Pauly, 2018. "Recreational fisheries economics between illusion and reality: The case of Algeria," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(8), pages 1-11, August.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:natres:v:44:y:2020:i:2:p:111-128. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1111/(ISSN)1477-8947 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.