Caroline Winter

Spatial Differentiation of Landscape Values in the Murray River Region of Victoria, Australia

This research advances the understanding of the location of perceived landscape values through a statistically based approach to spatial analysis of value densities. Survey data were obtained from a sample of people living in and using the Murray River region, Australia, where declining environmental quality prompted a reevaluation of its conservation status. When densities of 12 perceived landscape values were mapped using geographic information systems (GIS), valued places clustered along the entire river bank and in associated National/State Parks and reserves. While simple density mapping revealed high value densities in various locations, it did not indicate what density of a landscape value could be regarded as a statistically significant hotspot or distinguish whether overlapping areas of high density for different values indicate identical or adjacent locations. A spatial statistic Getis–Ord Gi* was used to indicate statistically significant spatial clusters of high value densities or “hotspots”. Of 251 hotspots, 40% were for single non-use values, primarily spiritual, therapeutic or intrinsic. Four hotspots had 11 landscape values. Two, lacking economic value, were located in ecologically important river red gum forests and two, lacking wilderness value, were near the major towns of Echuca-Moama and Albury-Wodonga. Hotspots for eight values showed statistically significant associations with another value. There were high associations between learning and heritage values while economic and biological diversity values showed moderate associations with several other direct and indirect use values. This approach may improve confidence in the interpretation of spatial analysis of landscape values by enhancing understanding of value relationships.

Investigating the Role of Prior Knowledge in Tourist Decision Making A Structural Equation Model of Risk Perceptions and Information Search

To date, limited research has investigated the effects of tourist prior knowledge as a multidimensional construct on their perceived risk. This research is one of the first studies to investigate the relationships among tourists’ risk perceptions and various types of their prior knowledge, namely subjective knowledge, objective knowledge, prior visitation, and past international travel experience. The research also investigates the nature of the relationship between tourist prior knowledge, risk perceptions, and their subsequent information search behavior. Using structural equation modeling, the results reveal that while objective knowledge did not significantly reduce or increase the risk associated with traveling to the Middle East, subjective knowledge appeared to have the strongest influence on tourist risk perceptions. The results of this study further suggest that while various dimensions of perceived risk may elicit the use of different information sources, prior knowledge also plays a role alongside risk perceptions in determining the information sources used. Implications at both theoretical and practical levels are also discussed.

Preferences and Values for Forests and Wetlands: A Comparison of Farmers, Environmentalists, and the General Public in Australia

ABSTRACT Over the past decades, a trend toward environmental concern has been measured in general population samples. Natural resource management is a complex area in which multiple stakeholders compete for their different views to be heard. Different entities and natural areas must also compete with each other for access to resources such as funding for research and management. This paper describes the natural area management preferences of three samples (general public, environmentalists and farmers) based upon their intrinsic and instrumental values. A cluster analysis of the combined sample shows that while some clusters indicated strong and opposing management preferences, most respondents indicated a mid-range position. Respondents from all samples held the same level of conservation or use preferences regardless of whether the area was a forest or a wetland, but some differences were shown towards endangered species.

The Intrinsic, Instrumental and Spiritual Values of Natural Area Visitors and the General Public: A Comparative Study

Theory suggests that tourists who hold higher levels of environmental concern are more likely to have an interest in natural places and their conservation, and be more likely to engage in activities that are environmentally sustainable. This study assessed environmental concern by measuring and comparing the intrinsic, non-use, use, spiritual and recreation values of nature-based tourists, members of a recreational conservation group and the general public. The results showed that members of each sample could be grouped into four clusters, each holding a unique combination of the values. For some clusters, spirituality and intrinsic value were positively associated, yet for others, the two values appeared to exist in different conceptual domains. One cluster placed particular importance on bequest and existence values and one cluster valued natural places mainly for recreation. The results indicated that while many people are clearly interested in natural areas, they are influenced in different ways by a range of values. The study provides information about specific values that will help to better understand visitors to natural places and assist in the management and conservation of those places.

First World War Cemeteries: Insights from Visitor Books

Abstract This study concerns some of the military cemeteries that were built in Belgium and France by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission following the First World War of 1914–18. The cemeteries articulate one of the main social memories of the war to remember the dead individually. The performance of tourists and pilgrims in their visits to the cemeteries can be seen as ritual behaviour which helps to perpetuate the memories. The visitor books in 39 cemeteries were examined in order to identify reasons for visitation and patterns across sites. Three clusters were formed using the percentage of visitor book entries in which visitors made reference to specific graves. Half of the cemeteries formed into a cluster which had high visitation but where less than five percent of visitor book entries referred to particular graves. Most of these cemeteries were located close to well-known sites, battlefields or national memorials. A small cluster of seven cemeteries showed relatively low visitation but up to sixty percent of visitors sought a particular grave. The data indicated that relationships between national identity and particular cemeteries were important.

Exploring Attitudes Towards Tourism Australia’s ‘Where the Bloody Hell Are You?’ Campaign

It is well known that tourism makes extensive use of national identities to help build brand images, and that such use can result in significant negative impacts to peoples and their cultures. Until recent times, the dominant themes for much of Australia’s international tourism advertising campaigns have been based upon male character types, Indigenous culture and landscape. The 2006 ‘Australian Invitation’ campaign which featured a young female model and use of the term ‘bloody hell’ created a media controversy. The research reported in this paper found that the majority of respondents liked and approved of the campaign, but a cluster analysis distinguished a group of approximately one third of the respondents who held negative attitudes towards it.

Tourist response to climate change: regional and metropolitan diversity.

Tourism contributes to climate change through energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, both largely generated by transport. One means to reduce the volume of greenhouse gases generated by tourists is to encourage a modal shift to transport with lower emissions such as trains and buses. This study considered the factors influencing metropolitan and regional residents in their selection of tourism transport mode. The study found that time, cost, and convenience were the main lifestyle and experience factors influencing their choice. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the need to adapt behavior in the light of climate change.

Fashion, fantasy and fallen horses: alternate images of thoroughbred racing.

Thoroughbred racing is promoted as the ‘Sport of Kings’ and thousands of racegoers emulate a wealthy leisured elite at the track and through gambling and horse ownership, seek large financial profits. One of the norms of this racing culture involves a particular clothing style of high fashion which helps to promote racing as glamorous and exciting. In recent years racing has been subjected to a number of shocks resulting from high-profile media work by activist groups concerning horrific horse injuries and deaths at the track, plus claims of widespread cruelty, ‘wastage’ and whipping. This paper juxtaposes these two racing worlds. It illuminates the position of the animals upon which the industry so heavily depends and argues that in an age of increasing concern for animal welfare, racegoers and the community ought to know how their entertainment was produced. The paper results from a collaboration between academic endeavour and animal activist work.

Social memory and battle names: Exploring links between travel, memory and the media

The profile of five battles fought by Australians in the Great War (1914–1918) was traced over the past century using the frequency by which they were cited in the popular media. The pattern of these frequencies appeared to remain much the same from 1915 until the 1990s with battles involving very large numbers of casualties at Pozières and Passchendaele having a higher media frequency than smaller battles at Fromelles and Villers-Bretonneux. Gallipolis status as Australias best known battlefield has been consistent from 1915 until the present day. Over the past decade however, the media frequencies suggest that there has been a re-prioritization in the importance of these five battles. The discovery of lost graves at Fromelles and the introduction of a Dawn Service at Villers-Bretonneux has elevated the importance of these two sites, with the result that tourist visitation to them has also increased.

Fatalities and Fascinators: A New Perspective on Thoroughbred Racing

Thoroughbred racing has a very dark side, although in the past, most interest has centred on the human participants and issues of corruption, fraud, and various ‘scams’, with the horses being the objects of human activity, rather than the animals’ welfare being a primary issue (Benns, 2012). Campaign work by activist groups in a number of racing countries has exposed widespread cruel treatment of thoroughbred horses. In this chapter we incorporate the animals’ perspective, to explore some of the oppositions that exist in the thoroughbred racing industry, and to bring to light some of the issues that may not be fully known or acknowledged by the majority of the public.