ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the role of whale shark tourism within the context of incentive-based conservation. Whale sharks are the most-watched shark in the world, with tourism worth an estimated US$1.9 billion worldwide, attracting over 25.5 million people annually at 46 sites in 23 countries. The largest collection of sites is in Asia. Tourist opportunities range from captive aquariums and seapen tourism to non-captive provisioned activities and wild encounters. Whale shark tourism can be an important means to protect whale sharks by providing economic incentives to local communities. However, research suggests that the activity can also lead to negative impacts on individual sharks and overall fitness. Effective management is critical in order to minimize impacts, incorporate community perspectives, build conservation awareness, and ensure a satisfactory tourist viewing experience in line with expectations for a genuine ecotourism activity. Although codes of conduct exist for most sites, these need to be reviewed to meet international standards and assistance provided to ensure that they are implemented and enforced.
