Maritime Tourism: Geopolitics, National Strategy and the Blue Economy in the Twenty-First Century Filipe Chaves Manoel Candeias (Founder Member of Ocean Geopolitics Centre) Part I – Maritime Tourism and National Maritime Strategy From Leisure Activity to Strategic Maritime Instrument For much of the twentieth century, maritime tourism occupied a relatively modest position within national economic planning. Governments largely regarded it as an extension of the hospitality industry, associated primarily with beaches, cruises, leisure navigation and coastal recreation. Academic literature similarly approached maritime tourism through the disciplines of economics, destination management and environmental conservation, emphasising visitor numbers, marketing strategies and the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems. While these perspectives undoubtedly contributed valuable insights into the development of the sector, they often overlooked a far more profound reality: mar...