Climate change perception of the dive tourism industry in Koh Tao island, Thailand

Marine tourism is a major contributor to local economies of both developed and developing countries. However, the warming of the climate system, ocean acidification, coral bleaching, and extreme storm events are putting seaside communities and marine tourism industries at risk. The objective of this study was to identify how well stakeholders in the dive tourism industry of Thailand can adapt to climate change threats. Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) was used to frame stakeholders’ perception of climate change threats, their level of vulnerability to climate change and their response efficacy to climate change. Nine semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with stakeholders from the dive tourism industry on Koh Tao Island, Thailand. Results revealed misconceptions regarding climate change causes and the temporal and spatial scales of climate change impacts. Perceived environmental changes were based on personal observation, and adaptive responses were generally related to livelihood strategies rather than direct responses to climate change. Therefore, the key policy recommendation is to first focus on engaging the local community in a participative education and communication program to remove misconceptions around climate change that is hindering people’s adaptive capacity.