International Conference in Management of Accessible Underwater, Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites: “Dive in Blue Growth”, 2019
This study is an interdisciplinary examination of Underwater Visitor-Accessible Archaeological Si... more This study is an interdisciplinary examination of Underwater Visitor-Accessible Archaeological Sites (UVAASs) and other organized diving sites including Diving Parks (DPs) and modern wrecks, with a short overview of their current status, focusing on the significant contributions of diving tourism to sustainable development and sustainable protection of the natural and cultural environment; a statistical evaluation of the results of the Greek Law 3409/2005 on the diving tourism in Greece; and discussing exceptional established UVAASs as well as DPs, as new tools and their benefits. We look at the problems facing these and propose immediate, specific and achievable solutions, particularly on the requirement that DPs must be located further than 3 nautical miles from UVAASs, a provision without merit and destructive for both institutions; the fact that tourists must be accompanied by civil servants, which has rendered UVAASs non-functional and meaningless. We propose fundamental institutional solutions to help deregulate and improve diving tourism in all countries. These include making use of existing, expert and monitored human resources in the sector (Greece maintains a Register of Providers of scuba diving services in accordance to Law 3409/2005 and we propose that this become a Chamber and that these providers work at DPs and UVAASs); instituting accompanied diving as a protection measure (empowering providers of diving services to accompany visitors to organized diving areas, notifying the Authorities digitally, so there is ongoing monitoring of the providers and the activity); creating a national and international network of organized diving areas (to provide opportunities for exchange of information, expertise and best practices; to contribute to sustainable regional development; to support the economy; and to protect, preserve and promote underwater antiquities, the environment, biodiversity and modern wrecks).
International Conference in Management of Accessible Underwater, Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites: “Dive in Blue Growth”, 2019
This study is an interdisciplinary examination of Underwater Visitor-Accessible Archaeological Si... more This study is an interdisciplinary examination of Underwater Visitor-Accessible Archaeological Sites (UVAASs) and other organized diving sites including Diving Parks (DPs) and modern wrecks, with a short overview of their current status, focusing on the significant contributions of diving tourism to sustainable development and sustainable protection of the natural and cultural environment; a statistical evaluation of the results of the Greek Law 3409/2005 on the diving tourism in Greece; and discussing exceptional established UVAASs as well as DPs, as new tools and their benefits. We look at the problems facing these and propose immediate, specific and achievable solutions, particularly on the requirement that DPs must be located further than 3 nautical miles from UVAASs, a provision without merit and destructive for both institutions; the fact that tourists must be accompanied by civil servants, which has rendered UVAASs non-functional and meaningless. We propose fundamental institutional solutions to help deregulate and improve diving tourism in all countries. These include making use of existing, expert and monitored human resources in the sector (Greece maintains a Register of Providers of scuba diving services in accordance to Law 3409/2005 and we propose that this become a Chamber and that these providers work at DPs and UVAASs); instituting accompanied diving as a protection measure (empowering providers of diving services to accompany visitors to organized diving areas, notifying the Authorities digitally, so there is ongoing monitoring of the providers and the activity); creating a national and international network of organized diving areas (to provide opportunities for exchange of information, expertise and best practices; to contribute to sustainable regional development; to support the economy; and to protect, preserve and promote underwater antiquities, the environment, biodiversity and modern wrecks).
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