Tourism in Australia

Although tourism has been an economic factor in Australia for a very long time, nowadays it has expanded to the level that it is acknowledged as the main source of employment and economic activity. In the past decades, the country has witnessed a substantial growth in the number of international tourists. With this growth, the need for sustainable development in tourism industry has been a concern.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Tourism in Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sustainable development is defined as a growth that satisfies peoples’ wants without compromising on the future generation’s wants (Rogers Jalal 2008, p. 42). Based on this definition, sustainable development should be able to satisfy the economic and social needs of the people with the regenerative capacity of the natural environment. Through sustainable development initiatives, the tourism industry has been encourage d to reduce their negative impacts on the environment and the local cultures. This report focuses on Kakadu National Park. Through the report, social, economic, and environmental impacts that will result from an increased in the number of tourists visiting the area in the future are highlighted. The report identifies tourism stakeholders in the region, their attitudes towards the growth, and recommends ways for ensuring the sustainability in the industry. Kakadu National Park is situated in northern Australia. The national park was established in the early 1960s. For the last few decades, tourism has created a significant disadvantage for the Aboriginal people in the area. From the time it was created, Kakadu has been a centre of attention between environmentalists, tourism stakeholders, and the miners situated in the region. In the last decade, the number of domestic and international tourists has significantly increased. As the number of tourists increases, the need for adoption o f sustainable tourism policies in the region increases. With the increase in the number of tourists, more economic activities and employment opportunities will be created in the region. More Australians will be employed to work in the booming tourism industry. Notably, the indigenous Aboriginal people will benefit financially from the influx of tourists in the area. As such, they will be employed by the tourism industry to work as guides and informants. Equally, some entrepreneurs among this minority community will get an opportunity to open their own tourism enterprises. The community’s produce such as paintings, carvings, and other artefacts will be sold in large quantities increasing their revenues. Not only will the local community benefits from the increase in the number of tourists, but the government also will benefit because international tourists destined for the region will enhance foreign exchange.Advertising Looking for report on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the last three decades, cultural changes have been witnessed in the region because of the establishment of a national park. Throughout this period, the deaths of traditional owners of the region and the rise on new owners with at little educational backgrounds have been witnessed. Notably, these individuals remember little of their historical background. Therefore, in the future when the number of tourists increases the Aboriginal culture will be at risk of being extinct (Nile 2008, p. 45). With the increased number of tourists, social amenities, new technologies, schools, and hospitals will be created. This will aid in the degradation of Aboriginal culture. Currently, most Aboriginal individuals employed in the tourism industry live around the parks, travel using vehicles, shop, and ride in the same boats as their white counterparts. This is a clear indication that in the near future, when the number o f tourists will have increased, these individuals will adopt their white counterpart’s culture. According to the Aboriginal history, it is alleged that the ancestors of the modern Aborigines used to lit fires in the region during the cooler months as a way of appreciating the ownership of their land (Keen 2010, p. 174). Because of the collapse of Aboriginal culture, the habit has now become extinct. Backed by the western science, park managers have been simulating these fire regimes with the use of helicopters dropping small fires as they fly across the park during the cooler months. More often, some Aboriginal people have tried to mimic or rebel these simulations during the hot seasons resulting in huge fires that burn for several weeks. With the increase in the number of tourists in the future, more simulations will be carried out. In return, more people that are indigenous will set up more fires as a revolt to the simulations. These fires will cause huge environmental loss es as they have done in the past. Vegetation cover will be destroyed as well as the animals that depend on them. By building social amenities in the region, land animals and migratory paths will be destroyed endangering their future survival. The main stakeholders in the region are the Aboriginal community, tourism investors, and the government. Tourism investors are excited about the projected growth. The growth will see an increased number of tourists visiting the region, increased in number of investments, increased business opportunities, and increased returns. With the projected growth, the Aboriginal landowners and authorities are worried about their traditional clan estates and their cultures. Some of them have foreseen the effects and the conflicts that will result from the expected growth of tourism in the region.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Tourism in Australia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Cur rently, the Aboriginal share of the tourism economy is very small. This implies that ownership issues will increase in the near future. On the other hand, the government has admitted that in the future the Aboriginal share in the tourism industry in the region must be recognized. This implies that in the upcoming years the government will fight for the Aboriginal community to be part of the park’s plans. For sustainable tourism development in the region, the stakeholders must ensure that the needs of the indigenous communities, their culture, and their history are given the top priority in the growth of the sector (Newsome 2002, p. 241). If the Aborigines are taught on the need to preserve their culture and be made to feel that they are part of the industry, more conflicts and cultural losses will be avoided in the future. Therefore, the stakeholders must be ready to enhance cultural reinforcement and environmental preservation policies in the region. Equally, the stakeholder s should increase the Aboriginal community’s shares in the industry. On the other hand, the government should enforce a law that will mandate the tourism industry in the region to adopt renewable sources of energy in the park. Through this, pollution will be curbed. Tourists visiting the region should be given brochures encouraging them to conserve the environment in and outside the park. When the indigenous Aboriginal community will be able to manage the development process, preserve their culture, preserve their environment and economy, sustainable tourism development will be achieved in the region for the benefit of all the stakeholders and the future generation. References Keen, I, 2010, Indigenous participation in Australian economies: historical and anthropological perspectives, ANU E Press, Acton, A.C.T. Newsome, D, 2002, Natural area tourism ecology, impacts, and management, Channel View Publications, Clevedon.Advertising Looking for report on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nile, R, 2008, Australian Aborigines, Wayland, London. Rogers, P, P, Jalal, K, F, 2008, An introduction to sustainable development: Earthscan, London. This report on Tourism in Australia was written and submitted by user Lucille Kinney to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.