Cape Cod, the popular Massachusetts coastal destination, has seen its tourism economy grow substantially even as great white sharks have become an established seasonal presence in its waters. Rather than deterring visitors, the sharks are driving a new strand of "ecotourism," with local businesses, conservation groups and the tourist board adapting to coexist with the predators, which have been linked to a recovery in the local grey seal population since protective legislation was introduced in 1972.

According to the New York Times, Cape Cod's tourism economy grew from nearly $2 billion in 2019 to almost $2.8 billion, even as recreational visits to the Cape Cod National Seashore declined. Safety measures such as warning signs and "Stop the Bleed" rescue kits are now standard on beaches, alongside the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Sharktivity app for sighting alerts. A 2023 study estimated around 800 individual white sharks used the waters between 2015 and 2018, and the conservancy now runs paid shark-spotting charters, priced from $500 to $2,500, that also support research; local pool builders have reported a surge in demand, with one advertising "shark free swimming."