Stakeholders' perspectives of factors impacting long-term sustainability of the recreational scuba diving tourism sector in Cairns Australia

Recreational scuba diving tourism in the Cairns section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park represents one of the largest agglomerations of its kind in the world. Significant societal, financial and employment contributions are made across local to international entities through various linkages and supply chains. This study investigates the perceptions of what key stakeholders see as the major factors impacting their long-term sustainability as they also face a proliferation of competing recreational scuba diving tourism destinations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 key stakeholders across demand, supply and governance sides. Interview transcripts were analysed using a text analytical program called Leximancer. The most surprising aspect of the research was the focus of respondents on short-term tactical issues rather than long-term strategic issues. There was also a surprising lack of concern over long-term environmental issues such as coral bleaching which has the potential to significantly reduce the attractiveness of the Great Barrier Reef as a dive location. One outcome of this study is that it allows recreational scuba diving tourism stakeholders to better understand the importance of the long-term environmental factors they collectively face, so that they may develop practical 'future proofing' strategies.