Sustainability aspects of whale shark tourism: A perspective from tourist blogs

This study explored tourists’ blogs to identify sustainability challenges and opportunities to inform best-practice management of the whale shark tourism industry worldwide. Few researchers have investigated blogs in the context of swim-with whale shark experiences as recounted from the tourist perspective. This research was based on a content analysis of a sample of 58 tourist blogs, amounting to 31,509 words of content. The findings explored common sustainability themes within the whale shark tourist experience including proximity of the encounter, nature of the interaction, and whale shark tourist behavior. By comparing three whale shark tourism destinations—Mexico, the Philippines, and Australia—several sustainability challenges and opportunities were identified. The findings contribute to previous knowledge by advancing our understanding of whale shark tourists’ perception of critical aspects during their swim-with whale shark experience, which guided recommendations for improved and sustainable management.