In Labuan Bajo, the main gateway for dive trips in the Komodo National Park, I came across a number of initiatives that have recognized this. Some operators are engaging in education and training programmes. Working directly with students from a local school, they offer swimming and diving lessons - in some cases up to professional level. Some centres offer internships where students can fully immerse themselves in the dive business - children and young adults have the opportunity to explore the underwater world, increase their awareness of, and admiration for, the marine environment, and at the same time increase their employability.
These types of projects also exist outside of Flores, and are already making a difference for local communities, yet they are small-scale and depend on the dedication of individual dive operators. As dive tourism increases in popularity, and the health of marine ecosystems is progressively threatened, particularly by destructive fishing practices and pollution, there is an urgent need for a global change in attitudes and an industry-wide shift towards sustainable dive tourism which recognizes that marine conservation and local community participation must go hand in hand.
Dive certification and training agencies have enormous influence, considering that they not only certify thousands of dive professionals every year, but also act as a certification system for operators. PADI, for example, is represented by more than 6200 dive centres and resorts worldwide. Given this level of influence, such organizations can have an immense impact by, for example, drawing attention to sustainable tourism guidelines. So far, awareness-raising for sustainability issues is generally limited to environmental aspects without incorporating social responsibility. The passion that is driving individual business owners, like those in Flores, to engage with local communities by training local staff, running local education workshops and providing members of the local community with work experience opportunities, can and should be replicated in the dive industry at a global level. Many dive centre owners have realized that a business model which takes sustainability seriously is not only beneficial for local communities and the environment, but can also be profitable. Now it is up to the industry as a whole to understand that working with local communities and contributing to sustainable development is a worthwhile investment in the future.
But don’t stand idly by, waiting for the industry to change. In the end, it is up to the tourists themselves to support future oriented ventures which sponsor and promote the lives of local communities. So the next time you go on a diving trip, choose to dive with an operator that invests in local people – that way you not only ensure that your tourist dollars go towards helping those who need it most, but also that you do your part in preserving the very thing that brings you so much joy underwater.
This article is based on a dissertation submitted as part of a Master’s degree. The full study, including a list of references used in this article, is available here.
Helen Klimmek has a Master’s degree in sustainable tourism and is an avid scuba diver and traveller. She works on both urban and marine projects at IUCN in Brussels. Feel free to get in touch via: https://be.linkedin.com/in/helen-klimmek-a2a04563
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