Economic Activity Derived from Whale-Based Tourism in Vava'u,Tonga |
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Authors: | Mark Orams |
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Institution: | New Zealand Tourism Research Institute, School of Hospitality and Tourism, Faculty of Culture and Society , AUT University , Auckland , New Zealand |
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Abstract: | This article reports on a study that estimated the economic activity of snorkel-with-whales tourism in the small, isolated island group of Vava'u, Tonga. This research shows that these activities generate important economic and other benefits and that these benefits grew from a relatively modest USD500,000 per year in 1999 to USD5 million per year by 2009. Data from self-reply questionnaires completed by holiday-makers who traveled by aircraft (n = 499) and yacht-based visitors (n = 52) showed that whales have become the predominant attraction for visitors to these remote islands. Interviews with tour operators (n = 10) confirmed the increasing influence of whale based activities over all tourism in the Vava'u area. |
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Keywords: | economic activity marine tourism snorkel-with-whales whale-watching |
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