Editing Great Barrier Reef (section)

===Tourism===
{{main|Tourism on the Great Barrier Reef}}
[[File:Giant clam with diver.jpg|upright|right|thumb|A [[scuba diving|scuba diver]] looking at a [[giant clam]] on the Great Barrier Reef]]
[[File:Amazing Great Barrier Reef 1.jpg|thumb|right|Helicopter view of the reef and boats]]
Due to its vast [[biodiversity]], warm clear waters and accessibility from the tourist boats called "[[live aboard]]s", the reef is a very popular destination, especially for [[scuba diving|scuba divers]]. Tourism on the Great Barrier Reef is concentrated in Cairns and also The Whitsundays due to their accessibility. These areas make up 7–8% of the park's area.<ref name=CRC46/> The Whitsundays and [[Cairns]] have their own Plans of Management.<ref name = "2005Brochure"/> Many cities along the Queensland coast offer daily boat trips. Several continental and coral cay islands are now [[resort]]s, including [[Green Island (Queensland)|Green Island]] and [[Lady Elliot Island]]. As of 1996, 27 islands on the Great Barrier Reef supported resorts.<ref name=CRC46/>

In 1996, most of the tourism in the region was domestically generated and the most popular visiting times were during the Australian winter. At this time, it was estimated that tourists to the Great Barrier Reef contributed [[Australian dollar|A$]]776&nbsp;million per annum.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Sally |last1=Driml |first2=Mick |last2=Common |year=1996 |title=Ecological Economics Criteria for Sustainable Tourism: Application to the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics World Heritage Areas, Australia |journal=Journal of Sustainable Tourism |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=3–16 |url=http://www.multilingual-matters.net/jost/004/0003/jost0040003.pdf |access-date=31 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218133426/http://www.multilingual-matters.net/jost/004/0003/jost0040003.pdf |archive-date=18 December 2008 |doi=10.1080/09669589608667255 |bibcode=1996JSusT...4....3D }}</ref> As the largest commercial activity in the region, it was estimated in 2003 that tourism generated over A$4&nbsp;billion annually,<ref>{{cite web |author=Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority |year=2003 |title=Summary report of the social and economic impacts of the rezoning of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. |url=http://www.ens.gu.edu.au/2281aes/docs/TEV_GBR.pdf |access-date=14 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920151126/http://www.ens.gu.edu.au/2281aes/docs/TEV_GBR.pdf |archive-date=20 September 2008 }}</ref> and the 2005 estimate increased to A$5.1&nbsp;billion.<ref name=2005Brochure>{{cite web |author=Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority |year=2005 |title=Protecting Biodiversity Brochure 2005 |url=http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/info_services/publications/brochures/index.html |access-date=11 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017010423/http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/info_services/publications/brochures/index.html |archive-date=17 October 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A [[Deloitte]] report published by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority in March 2013 states that the Reef's 2,000 kilometres of coastline attracts tourism worth A$6.4&nbsp;billion annually and employs more than 64,000 people.<ref>{{cite news |title=Is Australia shooting itself in the foot with reef port expansions? |url=http://theconversation.com/is-australia-shooting-itself-in-the-foot-with-reef-port-expansions-22992 |access-date=14 March 2014 |newspaper=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]] |date=14 March 2014 |author=Ove Hoegh-Guldberg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314143306/http://theconversation.com/is-australia-shooting-itself-in-the-foot-with-reef-port-expansions-22992 |archive-date=14 March 2014 |author-link=Ove Hoegh-Guldberg (biologist) }}</ref>

Approximately two million people visit the Great Barrier Reef each year.<ref>{{cite web |author=Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority |title=Number of Tourists Visiting The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park |url=http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/visit-the-reef/environmental-management-charge/gbr_visitation/numbers |access-date=19 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227093529/http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/visit-the-reef/environmental-management-charge/gbr_visitation/numbers |archive-date=27 February 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Although most of these visits are managed in partnership with the marine Tourism industry, there is a concern among the general public that tourism is harmful to the Great Barrier Reef.<ref name=CRC46/>

A variety of boat tours and cruises are offered, from single day trips, to longer voyages. Boat sizes range from [[dinghies]] to [[superyacht]]s.<ref>{{cite web |author=Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority |year=2005 |title=What You Do |work=Onboard – The Tourism Operator's Handbook for the Great Barrier Reef |url=http://www.tourismoperators.reefhq.com.au/yourproduct/index.html |access-date=14 November 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060920044219/http://www.tourismoperators.reefhq.com.au/yourproduct/index.html |archive-date=20 September 2006 }}</ref> [[Glass bottom boat|Glass-bottomed boats]] and underwater [[Observatory|observatories]] are also popular, as are [[helicopter]] flights.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.reef.crc.org.au/research/sustainable_tourisim/pdf/B211prelimreport2001.pdf |title=Understanding Great Barrier Reef visitors preliminary results |last=Saltzer |first=Rebecca |date=February 2002 |work=CRC Reef Project B2.1.1: Understanding Tourist Use of the GBRWHA |publisher=Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area |access-date=14 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050725040415/http://www.reef.crc.org.au/research/sustainable_tourisim/pdf/B211prelimreport2001.pdf |archive-date=25 July 2005 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.reef.crc.org.au/research/sustainable_tourisim/pdf/B2.1/Whitsundays.pdf |title=Understanding Tourist Use of the Great Barrier Reef: The Whitsundays Visitor |last=Hildebrandt |first=Amy |date=January 2003 |work=CRC Reef Project B2.1.1: Understanding Tourist Use of the GBRWHA |publisher=Cooperative Research Centre for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area |access-date=14 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050725040425/http://www.reef.crc.org.au/research/sustainable_tourisim/pdf/B2.1/Whitsundays.pdf |archive-date=25 July 2005 }}</ref> By far, the most popular tourist activities on the Great Barrier Reef are [[snorkelling]] and diving, for which pontoons are often used, and the area is often enclosed by nets. The outer part of the Great Barrier Reef is favoured for such activities, due to water quality.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

Management of tourism in the Great Barrier Reef is geared towards making tourism [[ecological sustainability|ecologically sustainable]]. A daily fee is levied that goes towards research of the Great Barrier Reef.<ref name = "2005Brochure"/> This fee ends up being 20% of the GBRMPA's income.<ref>{{cite web |author=Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority |year=2005 |title=How is the Money Used? |work=Onboard – The Tourism Operator's Handbook for the Great Barrier Reef |url=http://www.tourismoperators.reefhq.com.au/emc/use_of/index.html |access-date=11 November 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060920042807/http://www.tourismoperators.reefhq.com.au/emc/use_of/index.html |archive-date=20 September 2006 }}</ref>
Policies on [[cruise ship]]s, [[bareboat charter]]s, and anchorages limit the traffic on the Great Barrier Reef.<ref name = "2005Brochure"/>

The problems that surround ecotourism in the Great Barrier Reef revolve around permanent tourism platforms. Platforms are large, ship-like vessels that act as a base for tourists while scuba diving and snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef. Seabirds will land on the platforms and defecate which will eventually be washed into the sea. The feces carry nitrogen, phosphorus and often [[DDT]] and [[Mercury (element)|mercury]], which cause [[aspergillosis]], [[yellow-band disease]], and [[black band disease]]. Areas without tourism platforms have 14 out of 9,468 (1.1%) diseased corals versus areas with tourism platforms that have 172 out of 7,043 (12%) diseased corals.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Lamb |first=Joleah |author2=Bette Willis |title=Using coral disease prevalence to assess the effects of concentrating tourism activities on offshore reefs in a tropical marine park |journal=Conservation Biology |date=August 2011 |volume=25 |issue=5 |pages=1044–1052 |doi=10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01724.x |pmid=21848962 |s2cid=12979332 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2011ConBi..25.1044L }}</ref> Tourism is a major economic activity for the region. Thus, while non-permanent platforms could be possible in some areas, overall, permanent platforms are likely a necessity. Solutions have been suggested to siphon bird waste into gutters connecting to tanks helping lower runoff that causes coral disease.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kight |first=Caitlin |title=Are Coral Reefs Literally Sick of Ecotourists? |url=http://www.science20.com/anthrophysis/are_coral_reefs_literally_sick_ecotourists-82312 |access-date=15 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429185754/http://www.science20.com/anthrophysis/are_coral_reefs_literally_sick_ecotourists-82312 |archive-date=29 April 2012 }}</ref>

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has also placed many permanent anchorage points around the general use areas. These act to reduce damage to the reef due to anchoring destroying soft coral, chipping hard coral, and disturbing sediment as it is dragged across the bottom. Tourism operators also must comply with speed limits when traveling to or from tourist destinations, to prevent excessive wake from the boats disturbing the reef ecosystem.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}