Heather Zeppel

Education and Conservation Benefits of Marine Wildlife Tours: Developing Free-Choice Learning Experiences

Marine wildlife tours can provide a range of education and conservation benefits for visitors, including emotional (i.e., affective) responses and learning (i.e., cognition). Interpretive programs cover the biology, ecology, and behavior of marine species; best practice guidelines; and human threats to marine areas. The author reviews the education and conservation benefits of 18 marine wildlife experiences with dolphins, whales, and marine turtles by using (a) M. Oramss (1999) framework of indicators such as behavior or lifestyle changes in visitors and (b) 3 environmental indicators of conservation. Results of this meta-analysis showed that visitor learning and emotional empathy during mediated encounters with marine wildlife contributed to on-site behavior changes and some longer term intentions to engage in marine conservation actions. The author presents an experience—learning—action model to guide research and develop free-choice visitor learning.

Conservation benefits of interpretation on marine wildlife tours

Marine wildlife tours provide a range of education and conservation benefits for visitors. These benefits derive from interpretation programs and close personal encounters with marine wildlife. Interpretive information covers the biology, ecology and behaviors of marine species, best practice guidelines, and human threats to marine life. There has been limited assessment of interpretation on marine wildlife tours to identify whether these increase tourist knowledge and promote changes in environmental attitudes. This article reviews the educational benefits of guided marine wildlife experiences with dolphins, whales, and marine turtles using Orams (1999) framework of outcome indicators to manage marine tourism. The key indicators assessed in this article are education/learning and attitude/belief changes in visitors that benefit marine wildlife. This analysis found tourist learning during mediated encounters with marine wildlife contributes to pro-environmental attitudes and on-site behavior changes, with some longer-term intentions to support and engage in marine conservation actions. Areas of research are suggested to examine the causal links between wildlife interpretation and pro-environmental outcomes.

Cultural Tourism at the Cowichan Native Village, British Columbia

This study examines visitor responses to cultural presentations at the Cowichan Native Village on Vancouver Island, Canada. A self-completed survey was used to collect information from 496 Canadian and international visitors at the Native Village. The results provide a cultural profile of visitor experiences and satisfaction with a native-owned tourist attraction. Descriptive statistical analysis found that two key factors providing a genuine visitor experience of native culture were learning about Cowichan history and contact with Cowichan staff. The study provides additional information on visitors at indigenous cultural theme parks and enhances understanding of the cultural tourism market in Canada.

Marine wildlife tours: benefits for participants

This chapter introduces marine wildlife tours and visitor benefits from marine wildlife encounters, then critically reviews the psychological, educational and conservation benefits of tourist participation in a range of marine wildlife experiences.

Managing cultural values in sustainable tourism: conflicts in protected areas

This article addresses the role of cultural values in sustainable tourism. It evaluates cultural conflicts between indigenous groups, recreation users and management agencies over the appropriate amenity use of protected areas in the USA, Australia and New Zealand. It assesses both social values conflicts and interpersonal conflicts between groups with different worldviews about landscapes, resource use and recreation. This article identifies six types of cross-cultural conflicts between indigenous peoples and recreation users: sacred sites/religious beliefs, resource use, land use, visitor infrastructure, recreation activity and place names. Management strategies to address cultural values in sustainable tourism and cultural conflicts over recreational use of natural areas are presented.

Sharing the country: ecotourism policy and Indigenous peoples in Australia

This chapter first discusses tourism policy-making and Aboriginal or indigenous tourism in Australia, including ecotourism ventures. Next, various Aboriginal tourism strategies are reviewed with reference to indigenous input and roles in ecotourism. The policy and management roles for indigenous people are also identified in nature-based tourism strategies and ecotourism plans in several Australian states. A case study highlights the role of rainforest Aboriginal people in policy making and in nature tourism strategy for the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area of north Queensland. This chapter suggests that ecotourism policies address indigenous cultural heritage and environmental relationships, but have limited means for indigenous participation in the control and management of ecotourism as Native Title holders and traditional land owners.

Aboriginal Interpretation in Australian Wildlife Tourism

This paper evaluates Aboriginal cultural interpretation at wildlife attractions and on wildlife tours in Australia. The sites included 14 wildlife parks or zoos; three Aboriginal-owned emu or crocodile farms; and 16 wildlife tours, river cruises or resorts with Indigenous interpretation of wildlife. Telephone interviews were conducted with 35 managers (nine Indigenous) and 26 Indigenous staff at wildlife attractions that included verbal or written Aboriginal wildlife interpretation. The Indigenous guides verbally presented both traditional uses and personal stories about Australian wildlife followed by Aboriginal ‘Dreaming’ or creation stories about totemic animal species. Non-Indigenous staff explained traditional Aboriginal uses of wildlife followed by biological facts and species information. The responses in this study thus highlight cultural differences in animal attitudes and approaches to wildlife use or interpretation. According to staff, tourists benefit from the inclusion of Aboriginal interpretation at wildlife sites by broadening their mind, dispelling myths, learning/education about Aboriginal cultures, novelty and excitement for visitors, increasing cultural awareness and developing more positive attitudes towards Indigenous people. Some guidelines for wildlife attractions and tours to develop and present Aboriginal cultural interpretation of Australian wildlife are also identified.

Specialist accommodation operations in North Queensland: barriers to the implementation of environmental management practices

There are situational variables affecting the implementation of environmental management practices by specialist (or boutique) accommodation operators located near protected areas in Far North Queensland. These styles of accommodation are small, owner-operated establishments offering special activities, features or services to the guest and have a high host–guest interaction. From a survey sample of 101 specialist accommodation operations, 30 owners were personally interviewed at their establishment to better understand key factors affecting the implementation of environmental management practices for water, energy, waste and other sustainable practices. Environmental management techniques that are both simple and cost-effective are easily implemented by specialist accommodation operators. However, situational factors such as cost, lack of knowledge, climatic conditions, available municipal infrastructure and legislation appear to impede the uptake of some sustainable management practices.

Whale-watching: Green messengers or nature's spectacle

Introduction In western countries, whales and dolphins are iconic wildlife species and have been a key focus of marine conservation efforts since the 1970s. Social values based on conservation influence the type of benefits now sought from marine wildlife interactions, such as the trend towards non-consumptive viewing of wild cetaceans rather than killing whales or dolphins (Frohoff & Packard, 1995; Muloin, 1998; Bulbeck, 1999; Kellert, 1999; Hoyt, 2003; Parsons et al ., 2003; Higham & Lusseau, 2004; Corkeron, 2006; Neves, 2010; Brakes & Simmons, 2011), or seeing wild instead of captive dolphins (Hughes, 2001; Bulbeck, 2005). These new environmental and amenity values of cetaceans as ‘charismatic mega-fauna’ have underpinned the rapid worldwide growth in whale- and dolphin-watching as a marine tourism activity (Hoyt, 2001; Orams, 2005; Cisneros-Montemayor et al ., 2010). In 2008, over 13 million people went on whale-watching tours in 119 countries, generating income of US

Indigenous Ecotourism: Sustainable Development and Management

2 billion in coastal economies (IFAW, 2009). The economic and conservation benefits of cetacean tours are supported by organizations such as the Pacific Whale Foundation, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and Whales Alive. Whale-watching is defined as ‘the watching of any cetacean in the wild, an activity which is almost invariably conducted from a platform (e.g. ship, cliff or aeroplane)’ (Warburton, 1999: 12) and as ‘any commercial enterprise which provides for the public to see cetaceans in their natural habitat’ (Warburton et al ., 2001: 5). Swimming with humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) in Tonga (Orams, 2001; Kessler & Harcourt, 2010), dwarf minke whales ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata subspecies) in Australia (Birtles et al ., 2002; Valentine et al ., 2004), and wild dolphins (Amante-Helweg, 1996; Orams, 1997a; Hughes, 2001; Luck, 2003; Samuels et al ., 2003; Blewitt, 2008; Zeppel, 2009; Draheim et al ., 2010) are popular activities in selected locations where this is legally permitted. As a result, there is a growing body of research about visitor experiences of wild cetaceans.