Diving Deeper into Wreck Diver Motivations and Attitudes

Joanne Edney, Kay Dimmock and William E. Boyd
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Joanne Edney: Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research), Southern Cross University, East Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
Kay Dimmock: Faculty of Business, Law & Arts Southern Cross University, East Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
William E. Boyd: Emeritus Faculty, Southern Cross University, East Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia

Tourism and Hospitality, 2021, vol. 2, issue 2, 1-23

Abstract: Increased demand by dive tourists for high-quality underwater wreck sites requires managers to balance heritage conservation and tourism at these vulnerable sites to ensure quality diving experiences while protecting underwater cultural heritage. Integral to effective management is a comprehensive understanding of wreck diver characteristics, motivations, and attitudes. This paper reports the outcomes of an international survey of 724 wreck divers including demographics, dive experience, motivations to wreck dive and attitudes to underwater cultural heritage protection. Wreck divers are motivated to see historic shipwrecks, artefacts, and marine life. Most are generally supportive of management controls to protect underwater cultural heritage. Conceptual models of wreck divers’ motivations and attitudes were developed to illustrate nuanced complexities in motivations and attitudes, which can inform management strategies to support operational decisions and destination marketing.

Keywords: scuba diving; wreck diving; motivation; attitudes; preferences; shipwrecks; protection of underwater cultural heritage; recreation management; tourism management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z3 Z30 Z31 Z32 Z33 Z38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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