03 Jun 2025
Image: Whale tail – Thomas Lipke After 25 years of operation, Cork Whale Watch has ceased its tours, citing a significant decline in marine wildlife, as reported in the Guardian. Colin Barnes, the founder of Cork Whale Watch and a veteran marine observer, announced the closure, expressing deep concern and attributing the drop in […]
29 Aug 2023
The Seaside Heritage Network (SHN) is running a public vote for its first annual Bucket and Spade List – a top 10 of the UK’s best seaside places and experiences – which includes staples such as Blackpool Tower and Bournemouth’s beach huts, as well as the Victorian-era Kursaal in Southend, one of the world’s first amusement parks, the Observer […]
31 Aug 2021
Wildlife & Countryside Link: ‘Benefits of seal watching for UK coastal tourism (August 2021) The UK is home to two seal species, the grey seal and harbour seal. Despite precipitous falls in numbers to around 500 in the early 20th century, it is now estimated that there are in excess of 120,000 grey seals in […]
08 Sep 2020
A coalition of struggling seaside towns and cross-party MPs has urged Boris Johnson to appoint a minister dedicated to coastal communities to kick-start their economic revival. The letter asked the Prime Minister to create a post ahead of an expected autumn Cabinet reshuffle as coastal areas are pushed to “breaking point” by the pandemic. Mr […]
20 Jul 2020
A new study suggests that exposure to coastal environments can play a significant role in boosting human health and well-being, due to the ‘therapeutic effects’ marine and coastal landscapes have. In England, 271 million recreational visits are made to coastal environments annually and more than 22 million people live within 5 miles of the coast. The […]
14 Jul 2020
The National Coastal Tourism Academy is providing an excellent hub with a variety of blogs on the issues and activities around covid and the coast communities – click here to see the material available NCTA June Update ‘Tuesday’s long-awaited announcement that Covid-secure hospitality businesses can now get back to business on 4 July has brought […]
16 May 2017
Shaping a prosperous future for nautical tourism in Europe The Commission published a Staff Working Document on Nautical Tourism. Nautical tourism includes activities in coastal and offshore marine waters, e.g. boating, yachting, boat-based angling and wildlife watching, kayaking as well as other harbour and marina-based activities. This sector can provide economic opportunities for coastal communities, […]
25 Apr 2017
World’s first-ever best-practice guide for responsible shark and ray tourism released Hong Kong – This World Wildlife Day, March 3, Project AWARE®, WWF and The Manta Trust are pleased to release Responsible Shark and Ray Tourism: A Guide to Best Practice, the world’s first-ever guidelines for shark and ray tourism operators. The Guide aims to provide practical, science-based […]
