Promoting the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area: environmental presentation within tourist brochures

Abstract

Obligation to ‘identify, protect, conserve, and present’ World Heritage properties is a critical component of the World Heritage Convention. While complying with the first three obligations is enshrined in policy, ‘presenting’ an area's values is often overlooked particularly in an environment of fiscal constraint. The way communities represent and use the World Heritage status of their region can indicate their attitudes and understanding of World Heritage. We examine tourism brochures, collected from Visitor Information Centres (VICs) in the Greater Blue Mountains region, in the context of their ability to raise awareness about environmental and conservation goals for the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Results revealed a low prominence in World Heritage and eco-branding and a lack of adoption of the ‘Greater Blue Mountain’ and ‘World Heritage’ brand. Images, represented in the majority of brochures, showed limited representation of non-modified environments, and more specifically a low presentation of the eucalyptus environment for which the region achieved World Heritage status. The study concludes that promotional inconsistencies within the VIC network have reduced opportunities for raising awareness of both the World Heritage brand and general environmental consciousness and suggests that ‘green’ advertising is yet to reach its full potential.