A series of man-made tourist attractions announced for the Great Barrier Reef has a long-standing dive instructor concerned the reef is becoming too much like a theme park, as attempts to bring more tourists to the natural wonder ramp up.

Key points: Underwater statues and five-star hotels are some of the new attractions on the Great Barrier Reef

Underwater statues and five-star hotels are some of the new attractions on the Great Barrier Reef Some tourism operators are concerned this will change the reef's image from pristine marine park to theme park

Some tourism operators are concerned this will change the reef's image from pristine marine park to theme park The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority says it's needed to boost tourism after recent coral bleaching events and cyclones

When Whitsundays dive instructor Tony Fontes first swam on the reef in the late 70s, his view of intricate coral mazes was interrupted only by other divers.

Forty years later, statues up to 6 metres long have been submerged in the underwater landscape off the Whitsundays and bookings will soon open for the first underwater accommodation on the reef.

Mr Fontes said the attractions were demonstrating the reef's departure from pristine to humanised.

"In the past, it was simply the beauty of the reef, the diverse corals and amount of fish life, and things like sharks and manta rays and whales … is why you visit the reef," he said.

"The tourism industry, desperate to maintain tourist numbers, is looking beyond the natural beauty of the reef because it's not quite what it was."

The kaleidoscope of colour witnessed by divers on the Great Barrier Reef in the early 2000s. ( Supplied: Tony Fontes )

Nathan Cook is a Marine Scientist with Reef Ecologic, which provides advice on coral reef science and management, and led the Whitsunday Public Art Project.

Mr Cook said it was designed to support tourism, encourage reef restoration and raise awareness on the reef's health.

"We proposed the idea of underwater art as attractions that would promote educational opportunities for people to come out, see the reef, and wonder why there's underwater sculptures in these locations," he said.

"It would start conversations about why they're there and discuss the issues that are facing the reef.

"The reef is in a fairly degraded state in some locations and in other locations it's actually surviving and thriving so it's a really complex message because of that situation, so with the underwater art we're trying to assist the recovery in those locations that were severely impacted by Cyclone Debbie."

Mr Fontes said he understood any prospective attraction was put under strict environmental consideration, but said it was also important to consider how attractions were changing the reef's image.

"It's just the past couple of years we're seeing the idea of a theme park coming in … statues and five-star hotels," he said.

A three-level pontoon with an underwater hotel is being constructed near Lady Musgrave Island in the southern Great Barrier Reef, and two underwater suites are expected to open in November at Hardy Reef off Airlie Beach.

Mr Fontes said the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) had shifted its focus.

"The old GBRMPA was [about] a marine park, and the new GBRMPA unfortunately is becoming a theme park," he said.

This 4x6-metre sculpture submerged at Manta Ray Bay off Hook Island was created by Cairns-based artist Brian Robinson, and is one of six underwater artworks involved in a project designed to engage marine life and tourists. ( Supplied: Riptide Creative )

Jon Day was a director at the GRBMPA for 16 years until 2014, and said as the state of the reef changed so too had the authority's management approach.

"In the past the Great Barrier Reef relied very heavily on its own natural attributes to draw visitors but unfortunately with the recent bleaching events … and cyclones, some of these areas aren't looking quite as spectacular as they used to," Mr Day said.

"So if we can keep tourists coming with some underwater art, as long as it's done under appropriate conditions and in a sustainable way it can enhance the tourism experience while hopefully these areas recover and come back to what they were."

The GBRMPA denied it had altered its management in response to any need for man-made attractions to sustain tourism.

"There have been no policy changes as our act and regulations already cover how to assess proposed tourism activities and structures in the marine park," a GBRMPA spokesperson said.

"The long-term protection and conservation of the environment, biodiversity and heritage values of the reef is fundamental to our management of the reef, while allowing ecologically sustainable use."

The GBRMPA says the Great Barrier Reef makes up about 10 per cent of the world's coral reef ecosystems. ( Supplied: Tony Fontes )

Tony Fontes said the GBRMPA had become more relaxed in the attractions it allowed, under pressure to revive a deteriorating dive experience after back-to-back bleaching events in 2016 and 2017 and a series of cyclones.

"[In the past] there was no debate, they just said no, that's not a natural part of the reef — we're not going to turn it into Luna Park," Mr Fontes said.

A GBRMPA spokesperson said each assessment considered how the proposed activity may impact on the reef's environmental, cultural, heritage and social values, which included aesthetic values.

"The Great Barrier Reef is a multiple-use marine park and there have always been different tourism activities taking place, ranging from very low-impact eco activities to pontoons, underwater observatories, and live-aboard vessels," the spokesperson said.

Are man-made attractions needed to sustain dive tourism?

Tony Fontes said he had faith in the resilience of the reef, but said tourism operators were starting to reinvent new drawcards over concerns the allure of natural beauty could one day be in doubt.

"[The reef] is just not what it was," he said.

"It's a little bit harder to find coral diversity but it's still there and it will come back because the reef is very resilient."

Reef Ecologic's Nathan Cook said the advent of new tourism attractions were not replacing what the reef has to offer — but complementing it.

"These new opportunities are providing something different and a point of uniqueness for some of these locations that potentially have been impacted by events that have occurred over the past few years."

A snapshot of what Tony Fontes has seen during his 40 years of diving on the reef. ( Supplied: Tony Fontes )

Domestic tourism to the Whitsundays is increasing, despite the region sustaining significant damage during Cyclone Debbie in 2017.

Tourism and Events Queensland reported a 10.2 per cent increase in domestic visitation over the three years ending in March 2019.

But international visitor numbers had slightly decreased, falling 6.3 per cent in the year to March.

Mr Fontes said the dive industry — and his business — had taken a hit.

"It used to be primarily backpackers and that's the prime dive market, but now the backpacker numbers are a little bit lower and families are up and they're not the best market for diving compared to backpackers," he said.

Former GBRMPA director Jon Day said sustainable artificial attractions were a great way to keep tourism thriving while the reef recovered.

"The reef has a lot of natural values and that's why it's internationally recognised, but some of those natural values today are showing the effects of a range of pressures."