Tourism brings with it various benefits to communities through employment, increased standard of living and improved infrastructure. However, unregulated tourism and overtourism can be harmful to the marine environment.
Unregulated tourism practices like fish-feeding and spearfishing can change the behaviour of fish species in its natural habitat. Mass tourism can be detrimental to corals as some misinformed tourists will tend to stand or disturb corals. Novice divers who have yet to master buoyancy can also be destructive to coral reefs.
Nonetheless, tourism has the potential to work for conservation. Several ecotourism models have successfully converted extractive practices to preservation practices because they provide a sustainable revenue stream for local communities.
In the game, we highlight how tourism can benefit development or be destructive to nature.
