Exploring Indirect Environmental Risks That Impact Coral Reef Tourism in the East African Marine Ecoregion

The east coast of Africa is renowned as an adventure tourism getaway destination, and scuba dive tourists from around the world frequent the region to dive on its pristine coral reefs. Environmental change, however, is becoming a key driver for dive tourists’ decisions to travel, and these tourists are avoiding areas where coral reefs are no longer pristine. Indirect environmental risks, occurring outside the borders of countries and outside the control of dive operators, impact coral reef tourism within those countries and on the greater Blue Economy. Indirect environmental risks include climate change, industrialisation of coastal regions, increased shipping and boating activities, as well as marine and land-based pollution. This paper reports on the perceptions of dive operators on the indirect environmental risks which threaten the future of the dive tourism industry in the East African Marine Ecoregion. The research followed an exploratory and descriptive research design within a post-positivism paradigm. Via purposive sampling, surveys were conducted with 34 dive operators from Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa. Research findings indicate two overall areas of concern impacting coral reefs—activities relating to climate change, followed by coastal development and industrialisation of coastal areas. In terms of specific indirect risks, marine pollution is significant, followed by coral bleaching and extreme weather events. There is an increasing level of concern that continued environmental disturbances will impact business in future. This is not just a problem for the coastal tourism industry but also for coastal communities who share this precious resource. It is vital to cast a spotlight on the turbulent waters of environmental risks, which ultimately affect the sustainability of marine tourism and the wider Blue Economy. By doing so, regional plans can be shaped to respond to these threats in a more discerning way.