[Conference presentation] Asia Conference on Marine Tourism Development 2022

CTR researcher, Prof. Joseph M. Cheer was invited to present at the Asia Conference on Marine Tourism Development 2022 held at Ningbo, China from 12-14 July./p>

His keynote was presented virtually and titled ¡°Tourism in a Post-Pandemic World: Implications for Marine Tourism in Asia.

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Prof. Cheer said:?
It is vital that in developing the potential for marine tourism in Asia, this is done in a manner that protects the social and ecological inheritances of future generations, and ensures that the economic gains that come, are equitably distributed to stakeholders, especially those with a direct ownership stake in the marine resources that are being exploited.??

The ongoing pandemic has hastened the urgency for recovery in tourism dependent economies across Asia.? The pandemic has highlighted just how vulnerable the tourism industry is to widespread crisis, driven by heightened globalization and cross-border connectivity, intensity of global movement of people and goods, and the emergence of tourism as a global economic force.??

Undoubtedly, that future tourism development must heed the lessons learned from the still unfolding pandemic, holds. Post pandemic marine tourism development that is narrowly focused on expansion and rapid recovery, and without an eye on social and ecological concerns as equally vital priorities, runs the risk of intensifying likely tourism and ocean system failure.??

The slowdown of international tourism from record highs in 2019 to the depths of decline, as seen today, is a clarion call at a number of levels:???

1. Enact scenario planning for future crises ¨C under preparedness is the antithesis of good planning and scenario planning helps conceive of likely crises and how to respond decisively???

2. Reconfigure tourism system dynamics ¨C reshaping supply and demand variables???

3. Rebalance economic imperatives alongside social and ecological considerations ¨C economic growth that undermines social and ecological inheritances???

4. Reconsider cross border and multilateral cooperation and engagements ¨C marine tourism, especially cruise tourism, relies on the cultivation of a geopolitical context that is underlined by multilateral cooperation that does not hinder tourist mobility??

5. Strengthen cross-industry cooperation and harmonization ¨C the marine environment serves a vast cross section of stakeholders and industry sectors, often with competing priorities and uses, therefore requiring management of the marine environment holistically is imperative.?