Sustainability in whale-watching: A literature review and future research directions based on regenerative tourism

There is scientific consensus that human activity through whale-watching is causing an increasing amount of damage to the natural environment, which poses critical challenges to the goal of sustainability. Based on a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the scientific literature, this study calls for urgent rethinking in regards to whale-watching sustainability. A new, integrative framework for research actions built upon the concept of regenerative tourism is provided so as to lead to a more balanced evaluation of environmentally and socially responsible whale-watching tourism. The assessment of the literature review leads to three main research areas that have driven the research field in whale-watching tourism: the ecological responses of cetaceans due to human disturbance, the determinants of whale-watching tourism demand, and the impact of tourism on sustainability from macro-cultural and political perspectives. The new integrative framework, which additionally considers innovation and external drivers as prominent research areas, proposes future guidelines for studying the interplay between some of the more specific research topics: social change, economic drivers, gender perspective, co-creation, social responsibility, technology, climate change and long-term cumulative effects, among other issues of concern.

Automated summary

There is a growing consensus among scientists that whale-watching activities by humans are causing significant harm to the natural environment, posing critical challenges to sustainability. This study highlights the urgent need for rethinking and improving the sustainability of whale-watching through a comprehensive framework based on regenerative tourism. The study identifies three main research areas, including ecological responses of cetaceans, determinants of whale-watching tourism demand, and the impact of tourism on sustainability from cultural and political perspectives.