ABSTRACT

South Africa's marine environment is rich in fauna and flora, and renowned for its pristine coral reefs. Yet, with various risks continuing to threaten the future of marine tourism in the Blue Economy, for how long can scuba diving tourism remain a popular marine recreational activity in the region? By means of a case study approach, this article aims to identify the range of domestic and international external risks impacting on dive tourism at a dive tourism hotspot at the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (iWP) in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Results suggest that dive operators perceive external risks to be a significant threat to the future of their dive operations. Most pertinent are risks where domestic crime, political instability, depressed economic activity, access to dive tourism hotspots, and restrictive government regulations have impacted the dive tourism industry in the region.

摘要

南非的海洋环境拥有丰富的动植物群，并以其原始珊瑚礁而闻名。然而，随着各种风险继续威胁着蓝色经济海洋旅游的未来，水肺潜水旅游在该地区仍然是一项受欢迎的海洋休闲活动还能持续多久？通过案例研究方法，本文旨在确定影响南非夸祖鲁-纳塔尔省北部 iSimangaliso 湿地公园 (iWP) 潜水旅游热点的国内和国际外部风险的范围。结果表明，潜水经营者认为外部风险对其潜水作业的未来构成重大威胁。最相关的是国内犯罪、政治不稳定、经济活动低迷、进入潜水旅游热点、