Coghlan, Alexandra, and Prideaux, Bruce (2006) Wildlife viewing in Cairns, Australia, issues and future threats. In: Proceedings of IGU Commission on Tourism, Leisure and Global Change Pre-Congress Symposium. From: IGU Commission on Tourism, Leisure and Global Change Pre-Congress Symposium, 30 June - 1 July 2006, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

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Abstract

The management of wildlife resources, including the forms of encounters that occur between the tourist and wildlife, has emerged as a major issue for the tourism industry and management agencies. This paper explores the wildlife preferences of visitors in Cairns, Australia and focuses on the preferred forms of wildlife encounters. Based on a survey of 285 international tourists the research found that 73.5% of respondents were interested in a wildlife encounter of some form.

Most respondents said they would like to experience wildlife in a controlled setting either in a zoo or in a wildlife park (64%), while wildlife tours were the least popular form of wildlife encounter (32%). When asked about their specific wildlife experiences in Cairns, 25% of respondents reported visiting a zoo or wildlife park, 36% reported wildlife experiences in national parks and only 3% of respondents participated in a commercial tour. The preference for encounters in a controlled setting is an important factor in determining strategies that should be adopted by the Cairns tourism industry as it seeks to retain unique wildlife asserts in an era of climate change and increasing urbanisation.

Item ID:	4320
Item Type:	Conference Item (Research - E1)
Keywords:	Cairns, Australia; tourism; wildlife viewing
Date Deposited:	10 Dec 2009 22:29
FoR Codes:	15 COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT, TOURISM AND SERVICES > 1506 Tourism > 150603 Tourism Management @ 100%
SEO Codes:	90 COMMERCIAL SERVICES AND TOURISM > 9003 Tourism > 900302 Socio-Cultural Issues in Tourism @ 100%
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