Information-based approaches for managing jellyfish impacts on coastal tourism

Despite the continued presence of jellyfish on our beaches, little is known about the knowledge, perceptions and behavior of tourists and local residents about jellyfish and their influence on the choice of tourist destinations in the Moroccan Mediterranean. In this study, we conducted a socioeconomic survey to assess the perceptions of beach users and the local press about the occurrence of jellyfish and their impact on coastal tourism in the Moroccan Mediterranean. We also assessed the utility of providing the information to change their negative perceptions. The most common outbreaks on Moroccan beaches are caused by the presence of Pelagia noctiluca and Physalia physalis. The results show that beach users and the local press perceive the proliferation of jellyfish as a major problem. The majority of respondents stated that jellyfish outbreaks interfere with their beach recreation. About 57% of beach users said that they will return to the beach after the blooms disappear. The risk of stings and the mass stranding of jellyfish reduce the attractiveness of beaches and bathing waters for visitors. This may contribute directly to a reduction in tourist expenditure and associated impacts on the local economy. The Mann–Whitney U test indicated that beach recreationists who received information about jellyfish reported significantly lower levels of discomfort. Providing this information to beach users may be a very effective policy tool to reduce the impact of jellyfish blooms.