An outline of Parks Victoria’s Tourism Partnerships Strategy and challenges for sustainable park tourism in Australia

Abstract

Throughout the world there is growing recognition of the vital contribution parks make to a healthy environment, to the health of individuals and to a healthy society. The natural environment and wildlife are also key elements of Australia’s global tourism appeal and are attributes that differentiate Australia from competing tourism destinations. Within Australia, the state of Victoria is fortunate to have inherited a world-class network of parks and reserves, now accounting for more than 17% of the state. Parks Victoria is responsible for managing these national and state parks, marine national parks and sanctuaries, regional and major metropolitan parks and conservation reserves. These include many of the iconic locations on which Victoria is marketed, such as Port Campbell (the 12 Apostles), the Grampians and Wilsons Promontory National Parks. Parks Victoria receives over 70 million visits a year, making it one of the biggest tourism providers in Australia. Parks Victoria’s overall role is to protect the natural and cultural values of the parks and other assets it manages, while providing a range of outdoor opportunities for all visitors. Its specific role in tourism is to work in partnership with industry, government and the community to facilitate appropriate and sustainable tourism on and for public land. During the past three years, Parks Victoria has worked closely with the tourism industry in recovering from significant regional bushfires. Innovative solutions have been developed to enable ongoing park tourism and address the challenges facing sustainable park tourism state-wide. This paper outlines these initiatives including the balance of protection and promotion, creation and maintenance of appropriate visitor facilities and services, recognition of the value of parks, and effective partnerships.