Issues and Opportunities in Planning and Managing Nature‐based Tourism in the Central Coast Region of Western Australia

Abstract

AbstractResearch reported here identified planning and management issues relating to integrated development of nature‐based tourism in the Central Coast Region of Western Australia. Stakeholder views were gauged through a workshop involving 45 people and a series of interviews. The workshop was also designed to stimulate interest in the establishment of a regionally, integrated tourism group to address any issues identified. Participants included members of the tourism industry, the community, and representatives of government and non‐government organisations. Seven individuals participated in interviews, including the chief executive officers of the local authorities and regional development commissions.The results indicate that the regional tourism industry is fragmented and uncoordinated, which is hindering regional development. Implementation of regional tourism planning is virtually non‐existent in the Central Coast, due to the lack of a regional tourism policy. Management of tourism resources is restricted by limited coordination between industry and government, and especially by inadequate resource provision to local authorities and land management agencies.An outcome of the workshop was the formation of a regionally integrated tourism group, the Turquoise Coast Sustainable Development Steering Committee, to implement recommendations arising from the workshop. However, the group has met with limited successes to date, owing to a range of political and sectoral issues beyond the scope of tourism planning. The research highlights difficulties in implementing collaborative tourism planning initiatives at the regional scale.