Abstract:There is an absence of knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of different local tourism governance approaches. Consequently, experimenting with different modes of local tourism governance is increasingly common. This paper addresses this knowledge gap by investigating the ways in which three different local tourism governance networks operate, and the effects of this governance on local tourism policy. The three local tourism networks examined are a council-led network governance structure, a participant-led community network governance structure, and a local tourism organisation (LTO)-led industry network governance structure. The study found that these governance arrangements were underpinned by four key trade-offs and that these tended to shape the effectiveness of local tourism governance. The significance of this paper is that it opens up discussion about local tourism governance, highlights the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches, and reflects on their relevance to sustainable tourism management. The findings can inform local councils interested in improving their local organisation of tourism, and spur further research.
Tourism segmentation research has focused on (1) developing tourist segment profiles using primary and secondary tourist data and (2) understanding which segmentation bases can accurately predict future tourist behaviour. Researchers have not considered how tourism stakeholders are segmenting their tourist markets. This paper presents evidence to suggest that the use of combined segmentation variables to develop tourism profiles is warranted and that a 'one size fits all' approach is not suitable because different tourism stakeholders within a single destination attract different tourists.Furthermore, this research identified that the segments used by the destination marketing organisation failed to holistically describe the tourist groups using the different services provided by tourism stakeholders within a single destination.Destination marketing is complex involving many stakeholders each likely to be attracting different tourist segments and future research endeavours must acknowledge this complexity.
Ecotourism is being promoted as a sustainable alternative to mass tourism, although critics suggest that it may be just as damaging because it encourages increased use of natural areas. One of ecotourism's claimed benefits is the promotion of pro-environment attitudes and behaviours. However, this may not occur if ecotourists are already 'converted' to the pro-environment cause. To test this claim, a study was undertaken of ecotourists visiting Lamington National Park in southeast Queensland. A pre-/ post-visit questionnaire survey was conducted on-site, as well as a follow-up mail-out survey four months later. This paper presents results of that study in terms of four ecotourist groups. Results indicate that ecotourism can increase environmental knowledge and influence conservation views and behaviours. Of the four groups, coach day tour visitors were the least pro-environment initially but had relatively strong ecotourist motivations. They achieved the highest gains in knowledge and in the short term were influenced the most by the visit. In the long term, respondents who were the most pro-environment and who had learnt most during their visit were influenced the most. Therefore, for immediate effects of the experience on the uninitiated to endure, motivations need to be stimulated to encourage further involvement in and learning about nature. The question remains as to whether encouraging such involvement will have net benefits for the environment.
While environmental and social research have generated a large amount of information and data on how values and environmental ethics relate to sustainable development, there are no studies that examine the missing links reflected in the terminology of the sustainable development definition that alienates it from its ecological ethos. This paper reviews the concept of sustainable development that continues to remain vague even two decades after the Brundtland Commission report. It then examines the limitations in the contemporary anthropocentric conceptualization of sustainable development with a utilitarian ethic and argues for a more ecocentric reinterpretation of its definition that is more inclusive and incorporates recognition of the socio-ecological values. The paper concludes with a call for a revised global resolution and a framework for sustainable development based on its reinterpretation that recognizes the interdependence of humans with the rest of the ecosphere.
Market segmentation has been identified in the tourism marketing literature as an effective tool that can be used by management to meet the needs of a market more efficiently and effectively. It has been widely used by researchers seeking to develop tourism segments. Historically, most segmentation studies have developed tourism profiles at a destination using 1) a visitor questionnaire survey developed from studies in the literature or 2) secondary data. Very little research has taken a stakeholder approach to destination segmentation, despite many authors arguing the importance of utilising a stakeholder approach for destination management and marketing purposes.This research proposes a two-step approach to destination segmentation. It details this approach using one Australian destination. The two-step approach to segmentation begins with firstly understanding how tourism stakeholders at a destination segment their market before surveying tourists for the purposes of identifying segments. In contrast to previous tourist-focused segmentation studies, the two-step approach recommended and detailed in this study considers both tourism stakeholders and tourists. The segments devised from the proposed approach are then compared and contrasted with segments currently utilised by the destination marketing organisation (DMO).Step one involved interviewing 14 tourism stakeholders to determine how they segment the market. Based on these findings, a questionnaire survey was developed and data was collected from 852 tourists. This represented step two of the approach. Three tourism segments were identified through cluster analysis. Only one of these three segments was comparable with the segments defined by the DMO. The other two were not considered in the DMO segmentation. These segments represented over half of all tourists in the sample. Based on the sample in this study, the DMO segments target less than a quarter of the types of tourists visiting the destination.Contributions to theory and practice were identified. Firstly, it was recognised that different tourism stakeholders attract different tourists, not all stakeholders segment their market, and some stakeholders do not adhere to segments targeted by the DMO which may lead to an inconsistent message in the market. Secondly, the two-step approach is a new method incorporating a stakeholder view, which gives a more holistic view and a richer description for the segments obtained when compared with academic and practitioner segmentation approaches. The two-step approach can be utilised at other tourist destinations.The two-step approach to segmentation is capable of assisting tourism marketers to target more of the tourists frequenting the destination. This study suggests that many dollars may be wasted targeting tourists that are not likely to travel to the destination and not targeting those who would. Future research should be conducted at alternative destinations to further the understanding of the recommended two-step approach to segmentation.
The third criterion of ecotourism: Are ecotourists more concerned about sustainability than other tourists?Ecotourism can be defined by three core criteria: nature, learning and sustainability. The ecotourist market has been segmented by the nature and learning criteria only. It has been assumed that ecotourists are environmentally concerned and therefore sustainability is a factor in their decisionmaking. However, little empirical research has confirmed this assumption. This study surveyed 243 respondents participating in an ecotourism experience in Australia. It identified ecotourists according to the nature and learning criteria as per previous segmentation studies. Proenvironmental attitudes were measured as an indication of their support for sustainability. Results revealed no significant differences in pro-environmental attitudes between those identified as ecotourists and those considered non-ecotourists. Whilst demand exists for nature and learning experiences, compliance with the sustainability criterion seems to be no more a factor in ecotourist decision-making than for mainstream tourists. Implications are that market segmentation research should consider all relevant criteria when segmenting a market for a particular product to ensure supply matches demand. However, demand for certain products can be created by innovative marketing practices. This would enable the ecotourism industry to respond to the market's demand for nature and learning, but also influence the behaviour and structure of the market with regard to sustainability.Keywords: core criteria of ecotourism; product differentiation; market segmentation; ecotourist market; pro-environmental attitudes; sustainability 3 IntroductionDespite a variety of definitions of ecotourism since its emergence in the 1980s, it is now generally agreed by academics, government and the tourism industry that ecotourism can be identified by three core criteria: nature, learning, and sustainability (Beaumont, 1998;Blamey, 1995;Weaver, 2008). The sustainability criterion incorporates environmental, social and economic elements and therefore includes criteria referred to specifically in some definitions, such as conservation and community benefits. However, because of ecotourism's focus on nature the emphasis tends to be on environmental sustainability. The three core criteria have been used to differentiate ecotourism from other tourism products and accordingly ecotourism products are expected to comply with the three criteria. Those seeking eco accreditation or certification must comply with stringent requirements regarding these criteria. Compliance with the environmental sustainability criterion has led many ecotourism operators to implement extensive environmentally friendly practices and management systems, and has tended to put some of them at the upper end of the price scale.By contrast, ecotourist market segmentation research has identified the ecotourist as a tourist with motivations and behaviour related only to the nature and learning criteria of ecot...
travel-related activities that contribute to climate change. In response, government departments and tourism agencies have supported carbon mitigation strategies based on ecoefficiency actions to reduce GHG emissions and operational costs for the travel CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM: CARBON MITIGATION BY ENVIRONMENTALLY CERTIFIED TOURISM ENTERPRISESHEATHER ZEPPEL AND NARELLE BEAUMONT Australian Centre for Sustainable Business and Development, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, AustraliaTourism is susceptible to the impacts of climate change on destinations and businesses, but also contributes to the causes of climate change via greenhouse gas emissions from travel. This article reports on carbon mitigation actions by environmentally certified tourism enterprises in Queensland, Australia. The survey results profile attitudes to climate change, emissions auditing, carbon mitigation actions, and motives for emissions reduction. The study revealed that most operators believed climate change was an important issue for tourism and had implemented a range of carbon mitigation actions in energy, water, and waste reduction. The most popular actions were energy efficiency and reducing energy use, while less popular measures were adopting renewable energy and carbon offsetting. Tourism operators preferred lower cost actions that were easy to implement and would provide cost savings. The key motives for tourism operators implementing these carbon actions related to ecological responsibility and business competitiveness via cost savings and differentiating their business as "climate friendly." These motivations align with general business principles driving the implementation of socially and environmentally responsible practices by companies. The findings suggest that environmentally certified tourism enterprises now consider emissions reduction measures to be an integral part of sustainable tourism development.Key words: Climate change; Carbon mitigation; Environmental certification; Ecoefficiency actions; Sustainable tourism IntroductionThe tourism industry is susceptible to the physical and socioeconomic impacts of climate change on destinations and businesses. Tourism also generates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport and 162 ZEPPEL AND BEAUMONT could be adopted (WTO & UNEP, 2008 (WTTC, 2009). However, as noted by Scott (2011), these are "aspirational" targets that, without specific plans for achieving them, may be interpreted largely as rhetoric.In Australia, the national government responded to this issue by establishing a National Tourism and Climate Change Taskforce, producing a national action plan for tourism and climate change, a climate change guide for tourism operators supplemented by industry workshops, and a tourism strategy that included climate change issues (Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism [DRET], 2008[DRET], , 2009[DRET], , 2011. National, state, and territory government tourism agencies in Australia have also responded by providing information on climate ch...
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