Abstract
Tourism can be an important source of livelihoods at a destination level. Yet, while there are economic benefits associated with more tourists, there can also be costs to destinations in the form of negative environmental and social impacts. This paper illustrates tourism-related dilemmas for two remote regions within Australia’s tropical savannas where increasing visitor numbers are straining not only the very environmental assets that attract tourist, but also the host communities. The paper draws on research conducted under the auspices of the Tropical Savannas Management Cooperative Research Centre. Tourism impacts on the regions are described and, where possible, quantified and distributional effects discussed. Evidence is provided that host populations in the remote of Australia’s tropical savannas are willing to trade off environmental and social costs for economic benefits, but that this situation may not be ecologically sustainable. The regions are parts of much larger destinations and consequently peripheral to their concerns. The onus for sustainable tourism and regional development strategies therefore falls on local decision makers. The research presented here provides a framework for local decision makers and stakeholders to ask questions, collect relevant data, and proceed with informed debates and choices.
Highlights
Tourism growth is often considered an integral element of economic development strategies for remote countries and rural and remote areas within countries, where once prevalent primary industries are in decline
59% of respondents were from Normanton and 41% from Karumba; 23% were indigenous; 58% were female; 37% had lived in the region for less than 5 years and 30% for more than 25 years
The community adjoining the Gibb River Road articulated their concern with these impacts as well as other tourism-related issues northern Kimberley including ([13,24], Table 3):
Summary
Tourism growth is often considered an integral element of economic development strategies for remote countries and rural and remote areas within countries, where once prevalent primary industries are in decline. It expands on and re-interprets the results from several projects [13,14,15,16] and seeks to contribute to the existing body of knowledge in three ways: It adds to the body of evidence of social and environmental impact of tourism on host communities and remote destinations. There is evidence to suggest that tourism growth in at least some areas within the tropical savannas may not be consistent with ESD principles: Increasing visitor numbers are reported to be straining resources, the environment, infrastructure, local services and remote communities themselves [4]. ESD sensitive planning and management requires the ability to anticipate, monitor, and control impacts which have the potential to threaten the social foundations and natural assets which support both, the quality of life for residents and visitor attractions
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