Impacts of participation in scientific activities on marine tourists’ engagement and individual learning outcomes

Abstract

The participation of marine tourists in scientific activities or citizen science (CS) has been studied from various angles, to evaluate its benefits to science, management, policy, conservation, and tourism development. One of the main questions arising is whether this activity has positive impacts on participating tourists in the short and long term. This study measured the effects of participation in scientific activities on marine tourists, with an emphasis on relevant expected outcomes including experiential and reflective engagement, and individual learning outcomes. Using a case study of kelp forest monitoring by marine tourists in Cape Town, South Africa, a questionnaire survey was conducted between 2021 and 2022 to assess the short-term impact of participation in scientific activities by marine tourists, namely snorkelers and divers (n = 111). Their perspective was compared with that of tourists engaging in similar activities without a scientific component (n = 100). The results indicated that marine tourists participating in scientific activities were more reflectively engaged compared with regular tourists. Individual learning outcomes including interest; content, process and nature of science knowledge; and behaviour and stewardship were also more heightened for this group. This study confirms that participation in scientific activities has positive effects on marine tourists, but also suggests that tourists not yet participating in these activities can be fertile ground for recruitment in tourist programmes revolving around science and research with multiple potential benefits.

Mamagement implications

This study shows how CS based on simple tasks can effectively engage marine tourists and pique their interest in CS. This introduction can result in a further commitment to more complex CS projects which can be offered to tourists. Organisations and businesses engaging marine tourists through CS should consider the relevance of direct contact with nature and enjoyable, immersive experiences that can make CS impactful. The design of CS programmes for marine tourists should incentivise/reward participation and create a sense of inclusion in the scientific process through an open dialogue and feedback, to legitimise CS and make the experience more authentic.