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Diversification into tourism is often suggested as a potential solution for the increasing concerns over globally declining fishing opportunities, particularly for small-scale fishers. Through the lens of psychosocial identity, qualitative data analysis from interviews with current and previous fishers in Cornwall shows how people are deconstructing and reconstructing their identities in the transition from fishing to tourism work, and that experiences of marine tourism diversification are dynamic, multifaceted, and embedded in social encounters. This article expands current discussions on work transitions by giving insight into the lived experiences of marine tourism operators from a psychosocial perspective, to go beyond the dominant economic narrative of diversification and social change, which has implications on how transitions into tourism work are facilitated.

Traditional rural livelihoods are disappearing due to natural resource decline, climate pressure and,
also modernization. This study explores livelihood diversification from primary economic activities
into tourism employment in rural communities. We examine the developmental role of tourism in
areas where traditional activities, in this case fishing, have declined and tourism is growing. This
article presents the findings of two case studies: the coastal communities of Padstow (UK) and Paternoster (South Africa).