The Development of Recreational Scuba Diving amid COVID-19: An Exploratory Interview Study about how Dive Tourism is adapting to the New Normal

Abstract

The recreational scuba diving industry plays an important role in coastal countries of South East Asia with a significant economic contribution toward tourism receipts. Recreational scuba diving is one of the fastest-growing tourism industries around the world, although that accelerated growth was largely impaired by the coronavirus outbreak. The study aims to investigate how scuba diving businesses in Thailand are adapting to the new normal. An exploratory framework serves as the basis to collect empirical data through 25 semi-structured in-depth interviews with business owners and industry experts. The following themes were identified through the thematic analysis: business model scaling, global competitiveness, environmental sustainability, domestic market and customer behavior, and government measures and support. The article concludes by discussing the results and providing implications for policymakers, tourism researchers, and scuba diving business owners.