Compass: Dr. Michael Lück

Over the past decades, wildlife tourism has developed from a niche activity to mainstream tourism and recreation pursuits, often commercialised by destinations and tourism operators. Marine wildlife is no exception, with whale and dolphin watching at the forefront of these activities. However, many other species, such as penguins, polar bears, elasmobranchs, turtles, manatees, pelagic birds attract many wildlife enthusiasts and mainstream tourists alike. With these growing numbers there is concern for the welfare of the targeted species and sustainable human-wildlife interactions. This presentation explores marine wildlife tourism, introducing cases of whale/dolphin watching and pelagic birdwatching, before introducing an entirely different sea creature: Mermaids!

Dr. Michael Lück is a professor in the School of Hospitality and Tourism at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.  He is founding co-chair of the International Coastal & Marine Tourism Society (ICMTS). Michael has more than 10 years work experience in the tourism industry and his research interests include (marine) wildlife tourism, the cruise industry, ecotourism, interpretation and education on wildlife tours, the impacts of tourism, and aviation. He has published in a number of international journals, is founding editor of the academic journal Tourism in Marine Environments,  Associate Editor of the Journal of Ecotourism and editorial board member of Marine Policy and Frontiers. Michael has edited or co-edited ten volumes on ecotourism, marine and polar tourism, events and low cost airlines, as well as the Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments (CABI), and co-authored the introductory text Tourism (CABI).