Exploring Sustainable Marina Management: Developing Scales with Stakeholders in the Australian Marin Tourism Industry

Sustainability has become an increasingly important concept in marina management due to the growing impacts of global warming, climate change, and marine pollution. In recent years, sustainability has gained a central place on the global agenda, particularly with the identification of 17 Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations, emphasizing the importance of sustainable practices in business management and environmental governance. The primary aim of this research is to identify and systematically present sustainable marina management practices in a scientific, concrete, and objective manner. To achieve this objective, a Sustainable Marina Management Scale was developed through a field-based scale development study. Australia stands out as a country with a highly developed marina industry and a strong environmental awareness that has become integrated into business practices and social values. The country hosts a total of 296 marinas. Australia’s yachting industry has been experiencing rapid growth, supported by strong collaboration among marina operators, yacht tourism stakeholders, and non-governmental organizations working on sustainability and marina management. Furthermore, Australia represents one of the largest yacht markets outside Europe and North America. Within this framework, the study explores the question: “How should sustainable marina management be implemented?” by examining the perspectives and participation of marina stakeholders in Australia. The findings are expected to contribute not only to the economic development of the marina sector but also to the sustainable management of marine tourism resources, ensuring their protection and transfer to future generations. In this context, Australia’s functional and sustainability-oriented marina management approach offers a valuable model that may serve as an example for both local and global marina industries.