Demarketing manages visitor demand in the Blue Mountains National Park

Abstract

Nature-based tourism is a significant feature of the Australian tourism industry and relies heavily on protected areas. The Blue Mountains National Park is an important drawcard for domestic and international tourists but is recognised as suffering from excess demand. This research investigated the use of demarketing in addressing excess tourist demand in the park through a case study. No holistic or systematically planned demarketing strategy was found and the demarketing measures that are employed are not consciously used as such. In categorising the measures according to the 4 Ps of marketing, this research found several that had not been previously identified as demarketing measures in the literature, including limiting the duration of activities, closure of areas or features, limiting signage and non-promotion of areas or experiences. It is recommended that (1) more comprehensive visitor data are collected to inform demarketing practices and (2) research on demarketing in Australian and international protected areas be conducted to contribute to this research area. It is also suggested that a more conscious and holistic application of demarketing measures across the 4 Ps of the marketing mix may help to proactively manage visitor demand to ensure that the resource remains for future generations.