Global economic impact of scuba dive tourism

Anna Schuhbauer; Fabio Favoretto; Terrance Wang; Octavio Aburto-Oropeza; Enric Sala; Katherine D. Millage; Reniel B. Cabral; U. Rashid Sumaila; Astrid Hsu; Serena Lucrezi; Mohammad Nasir Tighsazzadeh; Marisol Plascencia de La Cruz; Andrés M. Cisneros-Montemayor

doi:10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100435

Global economic impact of scuba dive tourism

Anna Schuhbauer^*
, Fabio Favoretto
, Terrance Wang
, Octavio Aburto-Oropeza
, Enric Sala
, Katherine D. Millage
, Reniel B. Cabral
, U. Rashid Sumaila
, Astrid Hsu
, Serena Lucrezi
, Mohammad Nasir Tighsazzadeh
, Marisol Plascencia de La Cruz
, Andrés M. Cisneros-Montemayor

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Marine ecotourism is increasingly popular and important for local economies, but its aggregated benefits to the global ocean economy are little known and often overlooked in policy discussions. Here, we present a first estimate of the global economic impact of scuba diving based on an online survey of scuba dive operators across the world. We estimate the global annual revenue of scuba diving (direct diving expenditure) at between 0.9 and 3.2 billion USD per year and a broader economic impact (direct and indirect expenditure) at between 8.5 and 20.4 billion USD per year. Marine ecotourism is one of the most promising ocean sectors that can incentivize local sustainable economies, and with 9–14 million marine diving tourists worldwide supporting up to 124,000 jobs, the scuba diving sector could be at the forefront of transformative change for local and global ocean sustainability.

Original language	English
Article number	100435
Journal	Cell Reports Sustainability
Volume	2
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100435
Publication status	Published - 25 Jul 2025
Externally published	Yes

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 14 Life Below Water

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
Ecology
Water Science and Technology

Keywords

blue economy
dive operator survey
dive sector local livelihoods
dive tourism revenue
global scuba diving tourism
marine ecotourism
marine protected area tourism
scuba diving economic impact
scuba tourism employment
sustainable ocean development

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10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100435

Cite this

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title = "Global economic impact of scuba dive tourism",

abstract = "Marine ecotourism is increasingly popular and important for local economies, but its aggregated benefits to the global ocean economy are little known and often overlooked in policy discussions. Here, we present a first estimate of the global economic impact of scuba diving based on an online survey of scuba dive operators across the world. We estimate the global annual revenue of scuba diving (direct diving expenditure) at between 0.9 and 3.2 billion USD per year and a broader economic impact (direct and indirect expenditure) at between 8.5 and 20.4 billion USD per year. Marine ecotourism is one of the most promising ocean sectors that can incentivize local sustainable economies, and with 9–14 million marine diving tourists worldwide supporting up to 124,000 jobs, the scuba diving sector could be at the forefront of transformative change for local and global ocean sustainability.",

keywords = "blue economy, dive operator survey, dive sector local livelihoods, dive tourism revenue, global scuba diving tourism, marine ecotourism, marine protected area tourism, scuba diving economic impact, scuba tourism employment, sustainable ocean development",

author = "Anna Schuhbauer and Fabio Favoretto and Terrance Wang and Octavio Aburto-Oropeza and Enric Sala and Millage, \{Katherine D.\} and Cabral, \{Reniel B.\} and Sumaila, \{U. Rashid\} and Astrid Hsu and Serena Lucrezi and Tighsazzadeh, \{Mohammad Nasir\} and \{Plascencia de La Cruz\}, Marisol and Cisneros-Montemayor, \{Andr{\'e}s M.\}",

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year = "2025",

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doi = "10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100435",

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AU - Schuhbauer, Anna

AU - Favoretto, Fabio

AU - Wang, Terrance

AU - Aburto-Oropeza, Octavio

AU - Sala, Enric

AU - Millage, Katherine D.

AU - Cabral, Reniel B.

AU - Sumaila, U. Rashid

AU - Hsu, Astrid

AU - Lucrezi, Serena

AU - Tighsazzadeh, Mohammad Nasir

AU - Plascencia de La Cruz, Marisol

AU - Cisneros-Montemayor, Andrés M.

PY - 2025/7/25

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N2 - Marine ecotourism is increasingly popular and important for local economies, but its aggregated benefits to the global ocean economy are little known and often overlooked in policy discussions. Here, we present a first estimate of the global economic impact of scuba diving based on an online survey of scuba dive operators across the world. We estimate the global annual revenue of scuba diving (direct diving expenditure) at between 0.9 and 3.2 billion USD per year and a broader economic impact (direct and indirect expenditure) at between 8.5 and 20.4 billion USD per year. Marine ecotourism is one of the most promising ocean sectors that can incentivize local sustainable economies, and with 9–14 million marine diving tourists worldwide supporting up to 124,000 jobs, the scuba diving sector could be at the forefront of transformative change for local and global ocean sustainability.

AB - Marine ecotourism is increasingly popular and important for local economies, but its aggregated benefits to the global ocean economy are little known and often overlooked in policy discussions. Here, we present a first estimate of the global economic impact of scuba diving based on an online survey of scuba dive operators across the world. We estimate the global annual revenue of scuba diving (direct diving expenditure) at between 0.9 and 3.2 billion USD per year and a broader economic impact (direct and indirect expenditure) at between 8.5 and 20.4 billion USD per year. Marine ecotourism is one of the most promising ocean sectors that can incentivize local sustainable economies, and with 9–14 million marine diving tourists worldwide supporting up to 124,000 jobs, the scuba diving sector could be at the forefront of transformative change for local and global ocean sustainability.

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KW - dive operator survey

KW - dive sector local livelihoods

KW - dive tourism revenue

KW - global scuba diving tourism

KW - marine ecotourism

KW - marine protected area tourism

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KW - scuba tourism employment

KW - sustainable ocean development

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ER -

Global economic impact of scuba dive tourism

Abstract

UN SDGs

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

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