Cutting Edge Tourism and Hospitality Research
1. Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility (MTSRF)
The Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) is part of the Commonwealth Environmental Research Facilities Program (CERF), an initiative of the Australian Government that will invest $100 million in world-class public good research over the next four years. Of this $100 million, $40 million will be allocated under the MTSRF to develop collaborative, public benefit research between Australia’s best tropical environmental researchers to support the conservation and sustainable use of North Queensland’s environmental assets – the Wet Tropics rainforests, the Great Barrier Reef and its catchments, and the Torres Strait. For current information about the MTSRF, visit the DEW website: http://www.environment.gov.au/programs/cerf/publications/mtsrf-overview.html.
1.1 Project 4.8.6: Sustainable Nature-based Tourism: Planning & Management
As part of a major DEH-funded research scheme to further research into the marine environment, this project will identify and track changes in reef tourism drivers and trends on Great Barrier Reef, providing feedback to local tourism bodies, reef operators and park managers on the sustainability of the reef tourism industry. Running over the next four years, this project provides a unique opportunity to track mid to longer term changes, as well as focus on regional or temporal topics, and allowing a rapid response research approach to evolving issues. The research will be carried out in five locations along the coast, Port Douglas, Cairns, Townsville, Airlie Beach and the Southern Region, and will involve a range of marine tourism operators who will distribute the surveys to their passengers.
1.2 Project 4.9.2: Sustainable Nature-based Tourism: Planning & Management
This project will develop an improved understanding of the perceptions and motivations of the tourists and local community who use the Wet Tropics rainforests, allow identification of major drivers and trends in visitation, report on tour operator accreditation, development of a visitor barometer, report on benchmarking of tourism patterns and development of tools to determine visitor sustainability. Understanding trends and drivers will enable WTMA and the tourism industry to develop internationally competitive visitor experiences and enable WTMA to develop more effective visitor management policies. A Rapid Assessment Capability will allow stakeholders to understand the implications of unexpected events and assist in allowing them to respond to such events in an informed and effective manner.
2. Sustainable Tourism CRC
JCU is (also) a partner of the Sustainable Tourism Co-operative Research Centre (STCRC). Established under the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Program, the STCRC is a national institution managing and delivering intellectual property (IP) to support the sustainability of travel and tourism. The North Queensland Network Office of the STCRC is located on the Cairns campus, lead by Network Co-ordinator Professor Bruce Prideaux and assisted by Extension Officer Michelle Thompson. Since 2005, the STCRC team has been working closely with key tourism industry representatives to establish a research agenda, extend the STCRC network throughout Cairns and the region, and create awareness of the STCRC’s research projects and intellectual property. These extension activities have taken many forms, including user-friendly tools kits, meetings and workshops, as well as a monograph series co-funded by JCU and the STCRC. In May 2005, the STCRC and Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) signed an MOU, which has resulted in the Cairns Network Office collaborating TTNQ on these and other-industry driven, research initiatives.
2.1. Cairns Network Office
This project is ongoing and manages the operation of the STCRC Network office in Cairns. Through this office the Centre publishes a Monograph series and undertakes research that relates to issues of specific interest to the tourism industry.
2.2 Extension
This aspect of the STCRC involves informing industry about a range of STCRC products such as the Visitor Information Centre Kit and Decipher.
2.2.1 Farm and Nature Tourism
As part of the extension program this project delivers farm tourism information to prospective entrants into the farm tourism sector.
2.2.2 Evaluating Interpretive Tourist Experiences
This project will entail running a series of industry workshops and presentations for tourism enterprises offering visitor interpretation.
2.3 Transport in Regional Areas
This project is designed to investigate a range of issues in the structure and operation of regional tourism transport.
2.4 Monograph Series
This project is designed to deliver tourism research to industry users in a form that encourages rapid uptake and utilization.
2.4.1 Backpacking in the Tropics
This project was designed to identify key issues in the Cairns backpacker sector.
2.4.2 Backpacker Shopping in the Tropics
This project was designed to identify key issues in the backpacker shopping in Cairns.
2.4.3 Wildlife Tourism in Tropical North Queensland
This project was designed to investigate the preferred wildlife experiences of tourists to Tropical North Queensland.
2.4.4 Volunteer Tourism
This project was designed to create a better understanding of the volunteer tourism experience.
2.4.5 Locals’ Perceptions of Tourism
This project was designed to examine the perceptions Cairns residents have of the tourism industry.
2.4.6 Norfolk Island Shopping
This project was designed to identify key issues and trends in the Norfolk Island shopping sector.
2.4.7 Low Cost Carriers
Undertaken as a collaborative project with Dr Noel Scott of the University of Queensland this project is designed to identify a range of socio-economic characteristics, travel patterns and motivations of users of Low Cost Carriers.
3. Desert Knowledge CRC: “On Track”
This is a collaborative project between CSIRO, Charles Darwin University, Murdoch University, Curtin University and the 4WD industry which is investigating the potential of 4WD to support desert communities and their environment. As part of this project Professor Bruce and Dr Ali Cogan have developed a research plan to study desert 4WD experiences. We are examining 4WD motivations, activities, trip patterns (routes, trip frequency and information searches), socio-demographics and trip experiences. The first stage of this project, beginning February 2006 and based on focus groups and self-administered surveys, is now being finalised and has delivered some interesting results on the 4WD behaviour of 4WD club members in Victoria. The next stages of this project are to extend this research to other 4WD clubs around Australia, as well as FIT drivers and tour groups.
3.1 Segments of 4WD Tourists
This project is funded by CRC Desert Knowledge as part of a larger four study into 4 wheel drive tourism in desert areas.
4. JCU/CSIRO Landscape Joint Venture
Tourism after Cyclone Larry: A collaborative project with CSIRO’s Landscapes which examines the impact of Tropical Cyclone Larry on the tourism industry in affected areas. The research to date has adopted a three-pronged approach, (i) looking at the impact of the cyclone impacts on tourists’ experiences and satisfaction whilst in the area, (ii) determining the effects of the cyclone on perceptions of Topical North Queensland as a tourism destination soon after the cyclone and a year later, and (iii) review the effects of the cyclone on the local tourism industry itself. The outcomes of this research will be to gain a better understanding our understanding of post-crisis recovery in tourism industries that may be affected by natural disasters, and increase our knowledge of the drivers of the tourism industry in the region, enabling the local tourism industry to re-establish itself quickly after events such as cyclones.
4.1 Cyclone Larry Impacts on Visitor Perception
This project is designed to measure the impact that Cyclone Larry has had on visitor perceptions of visitors to the affected area as well as the views of potential visitors in southern markets. The project is ongoing.
4.2 Cyclone Larry Socio-economic Indicators
This project will investigate the socio-economic impacts of Cyclones Larry and Monica.
