Importance-performance analysis to inform visitor management at marine wildlife tourism destinations

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to postulate that the technique of Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) is currently underutilised in visitor management studies reported in the peer-reviewed marine wildlife tourism (MWT) research literature. Further, this paper provides insight into how IPA could inform future research and management of tourism experiences at marine wildlife destinations. Design/methodology/approach This paper synthesises learning gained from the natural area tourism and recreation literature that report the application of IPA in MWT and insights from a recent study at the Dolphin Discovery Centre in Bunbury, Western Australia. Findings Although currently underutilized in MWT research, IPA is a relatively straightforward, easy to interpret, and, if correctly applied, a powerful tool that managers and researchers can employ to investigate and enhance visitor satisfaction in the short-term and for longer-term sustainability of the industry through visitor-informed tourism management. Originality/value Having identified the opportunity to enhance visitor experiences, site management and target species welfare through increased IPA research, this review provides a plain language introduction to the application of IPA and direct access to comprehensible academic discourses and exemplars for the technique. Moreover, in light of increasing tourism demand, IPA can assist in determining management options for the future.

A Theoretical Framework for Bolstering Human-Nature Connections and Urban Resilience via Green Infrastructure

“…The synthesis presented in this article is informed and inspired by the extensive systemic literature reviews and the UGI research that is reported in several earlier articles by the authors [2,[14][15][16][17][18]22,26]. In addition, 32 globally focused review articles and 20 geographically specific UGI research articles are directly cited to support the synthesis presented in this article (Tables 1 and 2 below).…”

“…The HNCT provides multiple practical opportunities for modern cities to respond to climate change by cultivating and increasing pro-environmental behaviors, advocating for the creation and implementation more UGI assets, improving practices and approaches to current community planning and urban development regimes, and advocating for the renaturing of urban communities [20][21][22][23]. The level of human-nature connection is seen to be a reliable predictor for pro-environmental behavior [20].…”

“…Pro-environmental behavior represents ground level action in reducing the anthropogenic drivers of climate change. Therefore, the higher the level of human-nature connection, the higher the level of pro-environmental behaviors and the resultant decline in behaviors that contribute to climate change [20][21][22][23][24][25]. Human-nature connections, in this context, show human-influenced measures of environmental protection and conservation.…”

“…Explicitly defining the URT and the HNCT is problematic given the breadth of disciplines those theories transect, meaning that definitions are highly contested in current literature [19][20][21][22]. Both theories move beyond Homo sapiens merely surviving within urban centers, to thriving as humans, communities, and cities in coherence with the surrounds [11].…”

“…Fine grain connections arise from personal nature experiences, interactions with features within a natural setting, and/or direct interactions with the land, (i.e., gardening or farming) [20]. Coarse grain connections come from cultural significance, cultural landscapes, and broader place attachments [20,22]. Human-nature connections have changed over the past few decades [2,21,24].…”