Mangrove Ecotourism along the Coasts of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: A Systematic Review
Lara G. Moussa,
Midhun Mohan,
Nicola Burmeister,
Shalini A. L. King,
John A. Burt,
Stefanie M. Rog,
Michael S. Watt,
Susantha Udagedara,
Lara Sujud,
Jorge F. Montenegro,
Joe Eu Heng,
Susana Almeida Carvalho,
Tarig Ali,
Bijeesh Kozhikkodan Veettil,
Pavithra S. Pitumpe Arachchige,
Jasem A. Albanai,
Frida Sidik,
Amin Shaban,
Martha Lucia Palacios Peñaranda,
Naji El Beyrouthy,
Ana Novo,
Meshal M. Abdullah,
Ammar Abulibdeh,
Talal Al-Awadhi,
Adrián Cardil,
Ewane Basil Ewane
Affiliations
Lara G. Moussa
Ecoresolve, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
Midhun Mohan
Ecoresolve, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
Nicola Burmeister
Ecoresolve, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
Shalini A. L. King
Ecoresolve, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
John A. Burt
Mubadala ACCESS Center, New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi 129188, United Arab Emirates
Stefanie M. Rog
Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), AlUla 43544, Saudi Arabia
Michael S. Watt
Scion, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
Susantha Udagedara
Blue Resources Trust, 86, Barnes Place, Colombo 00700, Sri Lanka
Lara Sujud
Department of Agriculture, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon
Jorge F. Montenegro
Ecoresolve, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
Joe Eu Heng
Ecoresolve, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
Susana Almeida Carvalho
Biological and Environmental Science & Engineering (BESE), Marine Science Program, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
Tarig Ali
Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, American University of Sharjah (AUS), Sharjah 26666, United Arab Emirates
Bijeesh Kozhikkodan Veettil
Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Management, Science and Technology Advanced Institute, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
Pavithra S. Pitumpe Arachchige
Ecoresolve, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
Jasem A. Albanai
School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2JD, UK
Frida Sidik
Research Centre for Oceanography, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta 10340, Indonesia
Amin Shaban
National Council for Scientific Research, Beirut 11-8281, Lebanon
Martha Lucia Palacios Peñaranda
GEAS Research Group, Faculty of Engineering and Basic Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Cali 760030, Colombia
Naji El Beyrouthy
Department of Agriculture, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon
Ana Novo
Forest Research Centre of Lourizán, Consellería De Economía e Industria, Xunta de Galicia, Carretera de Marín, 36006 Pontevedra, Spain
Meshal M. Abdullah
Department of Geography, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
Ammar Abulibdeh
Applied Geography and GIS Program, Department of Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
Talal Al-Awadhi
Department of Geography, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
Adrián Cardil
Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, 25003 Lleida, Spain
Mangrove ecotourism is gaining immense popularity in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as a neoliberal conservation tool, and it has contributed significantly to the growth of the tourism sector in the region over the past two decades. However, there is no comprehensive review on the full extent of mangrove ecotourism activities and the contribution to mangrove conservation/restoration and economic growth in the region. A systematic literature review approach was used to examine the evolution of mangrove ecotourism in the GCC countries from 2010 to 2023. A total of 55 articles were retrieved from the Google and Google Scholar search engines, and the Scopus and Web of Science databases were incorporated. We synthesized the results and provided perspectives on the following: (1) the geographical and temporal distribution of studies in relation to mangrove extent, (2) key sites, attractions, and values for mangrove ecotourism activities, (3) the positive and negative impacts of mangrove ecotourism, and (4) existing mangrove conservation and restoration initiatives for the growth of mangrove ecotourism in the GCC countries. The findings underscore the significance of mangrove ecotourism in supporting economic development, protecting coastal ecosystems, and sustaining local livelihoods in the GCC countries. However, this study highlights the crucial need for sustainable coastal environmental management through integrated land use planning and zoning to address the negative impacts of anthropogenic pressures on mangrove ecosystems and ecotourism attractions. The use of remote sensing tools is invaluable in the monitoring of mangrove ecosystems and associated ecotourism impacts for informing evidence-based conservation and restoration management approaches. Thus, harnessing mangrove ecotourism opportunities can help the GCC countries with balancing economic growth, coastal environmental sustainability, and community well-being.
