Abstract:
Marine tourism is a niche tourism product and it can be identified as a sustainable
alternative to tourism. During the last few decades, marine mammal-based tourism has
showed a rapid growth in tourism. Significantly, watching Whales and Dolphins have
enjoyed phenomenal growth and is one of the fastest-growing tourism products in the
world. Utilization of the true potentials of Whale and Dolphin watching tourism has to
be developed and promoted within Sri Lanka. The study focused on assessing tourist
satisfaction towards marine tourism with special reference to Whale and Dolphin
watching at the Trincomalee area. The objectives of this study were to identify the
profile of tourists who are visiting for Whale and Dolphin watching, to identify the
relationship between destination attributes and tourist satisfaction on Whale and
Dolphin watching and to discover the innovative practices which will be expected by
tourists from the service providers of Whale and Dolphin watching industry in marine
tourism at Trincomalee area. The study mainly depended on the primary data that were
collected through questionnaire and structured interviews. The purposive sampling
method was used as a sampling technique to collect data from the 100 both local and
foreign tourists. Quantitative and qualitative data analytical methods were employed in
analysing the data deploying descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and thematic
analysis. Findings reflected that there was a positive relationship between all the
destination attributes (6A’s) and tourist satisfaction towards marine tourism. Moreover,
findings discovered certain innovative practices expected by tourists from their service
providers in Whale and Dolphin watching industry. Findings suggested implementing
expected innovative practices and rules and regulations to promote and sustain the
Whale and Dolphin watching tourism in Sri Lanka.
Keywords: Marine tourism, Whale and Dolphin watching, Tourist satisfaction
