”A scientometrics review of fifty years of whale-watching tourism research” systematically examines the existing scientific literature to address the following question: What does the available research record indicate about the sustainability of the whale-watching industry from a policy perspective and the interplay of human-wildlife interactions? Results reveal that research in whale-watching tourism has been predominantly focused on understanding the sector from a natural sciences perspective, specifically by assessing the impact of tours on cetacean behaviour. This systematic review also concludes that there has been less emphasis on multidisciplinary studies addressing the underlying social dynamics driving operators’ irresponsible practices. However, this issue is critical for achieving sustainability, as whale watching is an activity created by people for people. Therefore, more insights from the human perspective are needed to formulate more effective management strategies and progress towards the desirable whale-watching tourism model.
Link to paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2025.106658
