Whale shark tourism at Ningaloo Marine Park: A longitudinal study of wildlife tourism

This article demonstrates the changes that occur due to the maturation of a wildlife tourism industry through the application of a Wildlife Tourism Framework. Specifically, in 2005 survey data was collect from participants of whale shark tourism at Ningaloo Marine Park in Western Australia, facilita...

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Main Authors: Jones, Roy, Catlin, James
Format: Journal Article
Published: Elsevier Science Ltd 2010
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30171
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author Jones, Roy
Catlin, James
author_facet Jones, Roy
Catlin, James
author_sort Jones, Roy
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description This article demonstrates the changes that occur due to the maturation of a wildlife tourism industry through the application of a Wildlife Tourism Framework. Specifically, in 2005 survey data was collect from participants of whale shark tourism at Ningaloo Marine Park in Western Australia, facilitating a direct comparison with a study conducted a decade earlier. The results conformed with predictions by the Framework, in particular, a shift in the industry towards the mainstream from the periphery. In comparison with the past, whale shark tourism at Ningaloo now attracts more generalist tourists who place different preferences on the whale shark tourism experience. There is now a greater distribution of age groups; less skilled individuals; a higher tolerance to crowding; and a larger focus on the non-wildlife components of the experience. Furthermore, this article, discusses the pertinent management implications associated with this shift.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-301712017-09-19T08:16:46Z Whale shark tourism at Ningaloo Marine Park: A longitudinal study of wildlife tourism Jones, Roy Catlin, James This article demonstrates the changes that occur due to the maturation of a wildlife tourism industry through the application of a Wildlife Tourism Framework. Specifically, in 2005 survey data was collect from participants of whale shark tourism at Ningaloo Marine Park in Western Australia, facilitating a direct comparison with a study conducted a decade earlier. The results conformed with predictions by the Framework, in particular, a shift in the industry towards the mainstream from the periphery. In comparison with the past, whale shark tourism at Ningaloo now attracts more generalist tourists who place different preferences on the whale shark tourism experience. There is now a greater distribution of age groups; less skilled individuals; a higher tolerance to crowding; and a larger focus on the non-wildlife components of the experience. Furthermore, this article, discusses the pertinent management implications associated with this shift. 2010 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30171 10.1016/j.tourman.2009.04.004 Elsevier Science Ltd restricted
spellingShingle Jones, Roy
Catlin, James
Whale shark tourism at Ningaloo Marine Park: A longitudinal study of wildlife tourism
title Whale shark tourism at Ningaloo Marine Park: A longitudinal study of wildlife tourism
title_full Whale shark tourism at Ningaloo Marine Park: A longitudinal study of wildlife tourism
title_fullStr Whale shark tourism at Ningaloo Marine Park: A longitudinal study of wildlife tourism
title_full_unstemmed Whale shark tourism at Ningaloo Marine Park: A longitudinal study of wildlife tourism
title_short Whale shark tourism at Ningaloo Marine Park: A longitudinal study of wildlife tourism
title_sort whale shark tourism at ningaloo marine park: a longitudinal study of wildlife tourism
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30171