Date of Award

12-2013

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Geography

First Advisor

Dr. David Lemberg

Second Advisor

Dr. Lucius Hallett IV

Third Advisor

Dr. James Lewis

Keywords

Scuba diving, Roatan, Caribbean, tourism, destinations

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the hierarchy of location choices that divers make for destinations in the Caribbean; to identify where Roatan, Honduras fits into this hierarchy; and to determine strategies to increase the volume of dive tourists to Roatan. This research may provide resorts on Roatan, along with other Caribbean dive destinations, with data to incorporate into their own planning and marketing processes so they can better accommodate dive customers and their families. In order to get a better understanding of dive customers, a survey was given to customers of a survey was conducted at a successful resort in Roatan, Honduras, Anthony’s Key Resort with an aim to collect data on diver’s experiences in the Caribbean and specifically Roatan. On-site field observations as well as interviews also constituted part of the research for this project.

The analysis of 97 Surveys, along with the interviews, identified a series of attributes that were used to develop a Diver Destination Decision Model that lays out the order in which decisions are made by scuba divers. The findings in this research point towards the importance of the condition of coral reefs and the value of word of mouth concerning reef condition as a source of information for many divers.

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