Management Plan For Sustainable Tourism At The Houtman Abrolhos Islands

Author : Emily Ogier
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 223 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (93 download)

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Download or read book Island-based Tourism written by Emily Ogier and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: [Truncated abstract] The aim of this thesis is to examine the role of governance in the development of an island-based tourism sector which is sustainable and has a low impact on the local resource base. The propositions were investigated that island-based tourism is significantly dependent upon local natural resources (Baine et al., 2007; Baldacchino, 2010; Buerger et al., 2000; McElroy & Potter, 2006); and that the level of access, use, alteration and consumption of local natural resources by the tourism sector in island settings is a function of the level of knowledge, coordination and policy capacity characterising existing and historical governance arrangements (Baum et al., 2000; Conlin & Baum, 1995; Graci & Dodds, 2010; Hall, 2000; Heylings & Bravo, 2007; Lockhart, 1997). Island-based tourism at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia, was selected for investigation as characteristics of the tourism sector and its resource use and impact on those resources were not known. Limited planning and management of the tourism sector had occurred while sustainable development of the sector had been identified as a policy goal and preferred economic development pathway. Evaluation of tourism governance arrangements at the Houtman Abrolhos determined that the policy promulgation and implementation process has been hampered by minimal information concerning the characteristics of the tourism sector with which to frame the policy problem and select appropriate instruments; limited integration and coordination of agencies with various interrelated management responsibilities; and, the lack of enabling legislation to support regulation, enforcement and evaluation of tourism governance processes. Examination of the tourism sector determined that visitation levels and participation in non-consumptive ecotourism activities had not increased for the period from 2003-4 to 2005-6 in contrast to global and regional trends in tourism in islands and other comparable settings. The majority of visitors to the Houtman Abrolhos travelled by either commercial charter or private boat and undertook fishing as their primary recreational activity, highlighting the reliance of the sector on activity which is consumptive of marine resources. Investigation of tourist impacts on terrestrial resources found that substantive loss of vegetated areas and fauna habitat had occurred historically due to the establishment of extensive unmanaged track networks on those highly visited islands surveyed. However ongoing levels of this type of tourist impact on resource conditions were found to be low for the period from 2004 to 2006. The proximity of the tourist track network to nesting areas of high conservation value seabird and Australian Sea-lion populations was detected and indicated that disturbance to breeding activity of these populations could be inferred. Linkage of the research themes has supported the conclusion that the tourism sector at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands cannot be described as sustainable, given its reliance on consumptive activities and the level of changes to terrestrial resource conditions which have occurred...