Marine Tourism in Australia - Case Study Example

Marine Tourism (Name) (Institution) (Course) (Instructor) (Date of submission) Contents Introduction 3 Common characteristics of marine tourism 3 Marine Tourism vs. CMT 5 Motivations for marine tourism 7 Positive and negative impacts of marine tourism 9 Risks associated with marine tourism 10 Recommendations for future growth and sustainability 11 Introduction The term special interest tourism is applied to different segments of mainstream tourism. The term special is used when the form of tourism being addressed is definable and involves a relatively smaller niche market where specified activities are experienced. One major aspect used to identify special interest tourism (SIT) is the degree of ego involvement of the tourists. Under this, there are six common dimensions used to assess the ego namely, activity, experience, environment, motivation, risk, and performance. Other models on SIT are based on the tourist’s degree of involvement and the amount of complexity in the activity being undertaken. One of the major forms of SIT is marine tourism. Garner, Tonts and Elrick (2006, p. 68) cite Orams who define marine tourism as “those recreational activities that involve travel away from one’s place of residence and which have as their host or focus the marine environment (where the marine environment is defined as those waters which are saline and tide-affected)”. This paper provides a discussion on Marine tourism in Australia as one form of SIT using relevant literature. Common characteristics of marine tourism Ordinarily, marine tourism takes place in coastal areas with islands being the highest beneficiaries of such. Austral has witnessed rampant growth in mainstream tourism and also marine tourism. Tourist numbers to these destinations have increased and vendors have also increase the number of recreational activities to engage tourists in. Consequently, man made pools have been developed to replicate the marine wild. The impact on the economy has been monumental. As of 2005-2006, the Australian recreational industry inclusive of marine tourism produced AUD$58.3 billion in Gross Value Added annually to the national economy and employed approximately 810,000 people (Hardiman & Burgin 2010). One of the biggest attractions in marine tourism is the Great Barrier Reef. The GBR does not simply refer to the actual barrier reef but the ecosystem around the barrier which comprises of over 2900 individual reefs and over 900 islands spreading over 2000 kilometers (1200 miles) north-south playing host to a wide range of fauna and flora (Parker). In fact this, attraction is popular that it attracts over 1.6 million tourists annually amounting to direct revenues in excess of $1 billion per year (Harriot). Marine tourism in Australia is centered on interest in fauna and flora. The wide range of other recreational activities involved make it a wholesome package. Notable activities of marine tourism according to Collins (p. 112) include “four-wheel driving, beach camping, sea-kayaking, marine wildlife observation, sport fishing, and sightseeing trips.” marine wildlife observation goes beyond the curious sight seers to marine scientists. However, the involvement of the local people in recreational activities around the major marine tourist attraction sites making it almost impossible to differentiate from commercial tourism activities. Nonetheless, other activities such as infrastructure development for tourism activities and local people’s infrastructural activities are easily differentiated based on the size of projects, intended use guided by local government approval systems (Harriot n.d.). Marine tourism is identifiable through a number of activities. In the Australian marine parks and especially within the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem, snorkeling and diving are very common. Most divers are keen on experiencing and interacting with the fauna and flora found underneath the water surface (Harriot n.d.). Parker (n.d.) notes that the diversity of the fauna and flora in the GBR ecosystem is one of the most diverse in the world. There are over 400 different varieties of hard and soft corals, 4000 different mollusks, thousands of different sponges and crustaceans, 1500 species of fish plus countless other creatures, some unique to the GBR only. Such a wide range of fauna and flora is supported by the geographic location of the GBR near the equator which makes the waters warm. Marine parks are protected by the law. Majority of marine parks in the world are home to a number of endangered marine species. The respective governments, including the federal and state governments of Australia have enacted necessary legislations, laws, and oversight authorities to protect and manage marine parks. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) was established in 1975 to regulate the use of the reef to protect it and at the same time allow reasonable use for commercial purposes such as tourism and fishing. Where endangered species are involved, the authority has been forced to completely prohibit human access to enable the species to thrive. This has been a constant issue in tourism as tourists are seen to as a threat to ecological balance and unnecessary disturbance to fauna and flora (Parker n.d.). Divers and snorkelers for instance have been identified to break corals when they swim too close to them (Harriot n.d.). In response, the marine park management authorities are mandated with sensitizing tourists about minimizing their impact on the environment. Marine Tourism vs. CMT Marine tourism is one of the many forms of special interest tourism around the world. It differs from conventional mass tourism in diverse ways. Scholars in tourism have made numerous attempts to differentiate special interest tourism from conventional mass tourism. First, the idea is to understand how these scholars differentiate special interest tourism from conventional mass tourism. In essence, special interest tourism is not all about leisure and holidays but rather a specific interest in one destination. In this case, marine tourism fits well with this definition in that all interested visitors to Australian marine parks have their interest solely trained on marine life mainly through research and leisure and recreation (Collins 2008). One might ask does Australia have what it takes to be a marine tourism destination. As aforementioned, the GBR alone provides a wide range of tourist marine attractions alongside other conventional mass tourists’ attractions. Australia’s marine parks provide opportunities for floral or faunal study, conservation obligations, environmental familiarity, or even familiarity pertaining to scientific studies which supply the necessary special interest to a segment of the global tourism market. As SIT destinations, Australian marine parks do not target leisure seekers but people who are interested in marine life. This form of tourism offers a ‘meaning’ to the tourist as opposed to leisure alone in their experiences in such destinations (Wood & Rumney n.d.). For this reason, Australian marine parks have attracted numerous marine biologists, oceanographic and environmentalists as a segment of the larger SIT market. The attention given to marine tourism, as a segment of the larger mass tourism is often a basis for alienation for alternative sources of visitor demand. This is because every aspect of marketing the destination exclusively focuses on marine tourism which is inclusive of other minor segments such as sport fishing and whale watching. Branding as part of marketing is very apparent in the Australian case of marine tourism which basically locks out CMT. A good example is in the state of Queensland. The coastal zone in this state is popularly referred to as the Marlin Coast. The marina giving access to the GBR, which happens to the greatest attraction in the area, is named Cairns Marlin Marina (Harriot n.d.). The local football team is also named Marlin Coast Club. Such extensive branding which shows explicitly the connection between the destination and the tourism activities does not provide any hint of CMT but rather addresses the needs of SIT, specifically marine tourism. Marine tourism, as opposed to CMT, is very concerned about the environment and sustainability. All forms of tourism do not have the same economic and environmental impact, even though modern approaches to CMT have addressed sustainability more seriously in the recent past. Tourism characterized by creation of value addition products has the highest impact on the environment. For instance, the creation of marinas and large swimming pools has the great irreversible impacts on the environment. This differs very much from CMT where there is little creation of value added products. Accommodation in terms of construction of big hotel, motels, and lodges has characterized marine tourism. Motivations for marine tourism There are numerous motivations for marine tourism in Australia. Some countries that largely rely on tourism for economic growth depend on marine tourism. Countries such as Mauritius, Comoros Islands, and Maldives rely heavily on marine tourism which compromises a huge portion of their GDP (Julian et al 2011). Australia on the other hand benefits immensely from marine tourism. With the longest coastline in the world stretching 36 735 Kilometers incorporating some 7000 beaches, Australia presents a wide variety of marine tourist activities (Garner, Tonts & Elrick 2006). Other countries such as Macau have combined marine tourism with other activities such as gambling (WTO 2011). In Australia, the major motivations for marine tourists are scuba diving and snorkeling, wind surfing, fishing, observing marine mammals and birds, the cruise ship and ferry industries, sailing and motor yachting, sea kayaking, all beach activities, visits to fishing villages and lighthouses, maritime museums and maritime events (Garner, Tonts & Elrick 2006). Whale watching is one the most popular marine tourist activity in Australia and around the world. The activity was first offered as a tourist package in the 1950’s in the US. Ever since, the activity has grown in popularity with humans keen to know and understand better the largest living mammal. The number of whale watchers has been on the rise steadily with a reported 9 million whale watchers in 1998 and which had grown to 13 million by 2008 in over 119 countries. This number of comprises of leisure seekers and scientists (WTO 2011). In Australia, the while watching season in autumn. The Gold Coast on the southern ocean is one of the best locations to watch the whales both from land and on ship as the whales migrate from the Antarctic. There are numerous diving and snorkeling sites in the Australian shores. The companies providing snorkeling and diving services best identify these sites for their clients. Additionally, the companies provide essential equipments and kits at a fee for their clients. In most cases, novices in such activities receive basic training are guided in their activities in order to comply with environmental and safety rules. The fees charged range from one service provider to the other and from one region to the other (Collins 2008). Positive and negative impacts of marine tourism Marine tourism, just like nay form of tourism has a certain impact on the environment, both positive and negative. One of the greatest issues facing marine tourism is environmental pollution. Many environmentalists have blamed tourism for pollution of water resources and interference with the ecological balance of marine life. However, not all pollution along coast lines can be blamed on tourists. It has been noted that there has been increased settlements around such tourist destinations by the local inhabitants of the areas as opposed to tourist. In fact, two-thirds of the world‘s cities with populations of more 2.5 million people are located by tidal estuaries. Specifically 64% of the Australia’s population resides in eight major cities seven of which are located along the coastline (Hardiman & Burgin 2010). This means that where strict rules on environmental conservation are not implemented, such large populations are likely to disturb the marine ecological balance. There are generally two categories of water pollution, biotic and abiotic. Biotic involves the interferences in the ecosystem brought about the presence of living things such as humans and animals. Abiotic on the other hand refers to environmental interferences brought abut by nonliving things. Abiotic pollutants include heavy metals such as lead and toxic chemicals and non-biodegradable materials such as plastic bags (Garnder, Tonts & Elrick 2006). Toxic chemicals interfere with the water pH thus limiting the growth of coral reefs. In other cases, poisoned water may be inhabitable for fish and other marine life. Such chemicals are possibly released from infrastructural developments in the area including hotels and roads (Julian et al 2011). Activities such a whale watching and fishing imply that there is heavy usage of boats and ships which through tear and ware release harmful chemicals in the oceans. Sport fishing is another issue that affects the marine ecological balance negatively. Most sport fishing n Australia targets specific species such as sharks. However, research has revealed that many non-target species including protected ones are caught up and killed in the processes. For instance, between 1962 and 1978, about 165 turtles were killed annually including some endangered species (Garnder, Tonts & Elrick 2006). Dolphins have also been caught in nets targeting sharks that are notorious for attacking swimmers. Such species targeted to protect swimmers or those killed unintentionally are important players in the marine life ecological balance. Removing them thus interferes with the natural order of things. The advantages of marine tourism have not received wide coverage as compared to disadvantages. Nonetheless, some of the benefits are tourist involvement in environmental conservation efforts such as beach clean ups. Governments and tour operators, there is increased community awareness and stewardship of research, management and conservation issues, better understanding of the marine environment through research tourism among others (Wood & Rumney n.d.). Risks associated with marine tourism Although highly supported by the government, marine tourism is associated with several risks which tour service providers have to deal with. One of the greatest risks that these companies have to deal with, especially in Australia is shark infested waters. A number of cases have been reported in the media where swimmers have been attacked by sharks in the Australian coastlines (Wood & Rumney n.d.). Therefore, companies operating in this business have to ensure the safety of their divers and crew. The government, through the coastguard services runs an early warning system where simmers and people in the water are alerted upon sighing of sharks near the coastline. The sensitive environment is another challenge that tour companies have to contend with. Sea creatures such as turtles and a number of mollusks are very sensitive to human interferences. Divers and snorkelers also have been shown to be injuries to corals when they swim too close to them. This is especially so for first timers who might not fully aware of the delicacy of the marine ecosystem. To avert the problems associated with these tourists, tour companies embark on intensive training on all their customers. Clients are usually briefed about the marine ecosystems and clear dos and don’ts spelt out. This is not only n response to environmental concerns, but also for personal safety and a convenient experience and interaction with the marine ecosystem (Wood & Rumney n.d.). Recommendations for future growth and sustainability There is need for stricter regulations on the development and human settlement near marine ecosystems not only in the GBR but also near all coastlines. A lot of attention has been given to the GBR ecosystem leaving other areas exposed. Hotels and accommodation facilities need to be better controlled to reduce impact on the marine ecosystem not only in Australia but around the world’s coastlines. Influx of tourism around marine ecosystems creates noise pollution, water pollution among other forms of pollution. As the number of tourists in Australia grows, there is increased disturbance to marine life in its natural habitat. This not only disturbs the ecosystem but also threatens the existence of attractions and the industry as a whole. Therefore, it is important that the government and tour operators be more considerate of the environment than revenue and profits. It thus highly recommended that the number of tourists to specific marine ecosystems such as the GBR be capped to a reasonable level. This will allow the ecosystem to handle an environmentally viable number of people at a time. References Collins, J. 2008. Marine Tourism in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. Geographical Research 46(1): 111–123, viewed 17 August 2012 Gardner, S., Tonts, M. & Elrick, C. 2006. A Socio-economic Analysis and Description of the Marine Industries of Australia’s South-west Marine Region. Final Report Submitted May 2006 Prepared for the Department of the Environment and Water Resources. Harriot, V. 2005. Marine tourism impacts and their management on the Great Barrier Reef. CRC reef research centre technical report NO 46. viewed 16 August 2012, http://www.reef.crc.org.au/publications/techreport/pdf/Harriott46.pdf Hardiman, N. & Bargin, S. 2010. Recreational impacts on the fauna of Australian coastal marine ecosystems. Journal of Environmental Management. 91, 2096-2108 James, C & Roy, J, 2009, ‘A longitudinal study of wildlife tourism’, In Tourism Management, Australia. Julian, C, Michelle, E, David, K.A, B, Richard, S.K, B, David, J, S & David, J, S, 2011, ‘Current constraints and prospects for improvement’, In Marine Policy, Australia. Nigel, H & Shelley, B, 2010, ‘Recreational impacts on the fauna of Australian coastal marine ecosystems’, In Journal of Environmental Management, Australia. Parker, S. n.d. management of marine tourism on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef: public and private dimensions of regulation Wood, P. & Rumney, J. n.d.Marine research tourism in Australia. James Cook University, Australia, viewed 16 August 2012, http://wildlifetourism.org.au/wp-content/uploads/WTC-presentationPeterRED90.pdf World Trade Organization website, ‘statistical in Australia marine tourism’, viewed 17 August 2012. Read More