Tourism areas adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef are at risk
of losing more than 1 million visitors per year (more than $1 billion in tourism expenditure) if severe coral bleaching
continues, according to a report by think tank Australia Institute.
While many potential visitors will still seek out other
Australian destinations, the research found that many will choose not to visit
Australia at all. The Australia Institute surveyed Chinese, British, American
and Australian tourists and found that almost 175,000 people each year from
these countries are more likely to visit a country other than Australia if
bleaching persists.
“While there has been lots of talk about the potential
tourism impacts of coral bleaching, this is the first time anyone has gone to
our key tourism markets and asked them what they might do if we aren’t able to
better protect the reef,” said Ben Oquist, executive director of the Australia
Institute.
Oquist noted that more than one-third of Americans said they
would be less likely to visit Australia if bleaching continues, and among
Americans that travel overseas regularly, 60% said they would be less likely to
visit Australia if bleaching continues.
The institute’s study follows a recent United Nations report
about the negative impact of climate change on tourism, which omitted
Australian sites, including the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian government expressed
concern to the United Nations that including Australian sites in the report
could hurt tourism.