From Spatial and Activity-Based Approaches to Measurable Thresholds: A Visual Fix and Contraposition Framework for Coastal and Marine Tourism Definitions

According to the existing literature, coastal tourism is a spatial and marine tourism is an activity and experience-oriented term. However, the definitions in the literature do not meet the standards required by the philosophy of science (clarity, consistency, testability, and delimitation), which causes practical and theoretical problems. This study aims to fill this gap by adapting the contrapositive proposition of the "visual fix" method's prerequisite specifically to coastal and marine tourism definitions, considering the qualities that philosophy of science expects from a scientific definition. This new approach provides a measurable, testable, and demarcating threshold. With the PRISMA 2020 protocol, a systematic literature review was conducted, and thematic analysis was applied to the 52 remaining studies. Inconsistencies and overlaps in existing definitions have been revealed. Definitions of coastal tourism and marine tourism were reconsidered, and the study minimised categorical uncertainties in statistical measurements, preventing regional administrative conflicts and sustainable destination planning, thereby highlighting both theoretical and practical contributions.