Accounting the blue planet in tourism : undersea and the opportunity for inclusive approaches to knowledge production

![CDATA[Oceanic estates are increasingly involved in the development of undersea tourism and leisure. Encountering undersea for pleasurable experiences is becoming big business as tourism and blue economies combine in these novel ways. As this size-able territory is opened up and transformed into diverse undersea experiences, equally important theoretical opportunities begin to emerge for tourism scholarship. This paper begins to explore the dimensions of this industry through some the most innovative undersea attractions to reveal the theoretical promises of blue tourism. The benefits and challenges these encounters do not only accrue to tourists and the tourism industry but also to the development of tourism knowledge. While understanding the production and consumption of blue tourism is valuable for the sustainable management of oceanic estates, this paper advocates the latent possibilities of undersea to counter the territorial bias that dominates tourism theory, limiting an appreciation of the role of all kinds of actors.]]