Conference poster
Impacts of dolphin provisioning feeding on visitors’ intended pro-environmental attitudes, behaviours and actions in Tin Can Bay, South East Queensland
Using Wildlife for Tourism: Opportunities, Threats, Responsibilities. Wildlife Tourism Australia's 3rd National Workshop: Program and Abstracts, p.12
Wildlife Tourism Australia's National Wildlife Tourism Workshop: Using Wildlife for Tourism: Opportunities, Threats, Responsibilities, 3rd (Gold Coast, Australia, 16-May-2012 - 18-May-2012)
Wildlife Tourism Australia
2012
Abstract
In the Tin Can Bay Inlet, Great Sandy Biosphere historical encounters between humans and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) developed more than three decades ago (Garbett & Garbett 1997). These encounters evolved, generating a tourism activity focused on the provisioning of individuals of S. chinensis (Mayes et al. 2004). The provisioning of dolphins has produced intense debate worldwide as a result of the associated negative impacts at biological, ecological and behavioural levels (Aparicio & Bonal 2002; Orams 2002; Tennent & Downs 2008; Turner et al. 2008; Wilson 1994). Nevertheless, these activities provide an opportunity to research, manage and understand the predictable nature of encounters between humans and dolphins (Connor & Smolker 1985; Orams 1997b; Orams & Hill 1998). Wildlife tourism activities such as dolphin-based provisioning tourism, through the educational and interpretive messages delivered create opportunities to generate more responsible citizens and proenvironmental active visitors (Orams 1999). Positive changes in visitor perspectives postparticipation can be directly beneficial for wildlife species and their environment or the prelude for future favourable actions (Ballantyne et al. 2011). The combination of operational procedures and effective interpretation and education programs delivered to the visitors have the potential to generate those changes (Orams 1997a). In Tin Can Bay, the management of the provisioning, the hygiene and operational procedures and interpretation messages delivered to the public have changed and improved since 2002. The objective of this paper is to compare the 2002 and 2011 management practices and the impacts that the 2011 dolphin provisioning experience has on the intended pro-environmental attitudes and intentions to behave and act on visitors after participating in the S. chinensis provisioning-based tourism in Tin Can Bay. A questionnaire was distributed to visitors immediately after their participation in the activity. Significant differences occurred between the 2002 and 2011 responses in four out of seven questions relating to intentions to act pro-environmentally. These differences may be attributed to the changes that have occurred to the management of the experience and the improved quality of interpretation and education program delivered to the public.
Details
- Title
- Impacts of dolphin provisioning feeding on visitors’ intended pro-environmental attitudes, behaviours and actions in Tin Can Bay, South East Queensland
- Authors
- Ximena Arango (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts and BusinessGayle J Mayes (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts and BusinessR W (Bill) Carter (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts and Business
- Publication details
- Using Wildlife for Tourism: Opportunities, Threats, Responsibilities. Wildlife Tourism Australia's 3rd National Workshop: Program and Abstracts, p.12
- Conference details
- Wildlife Tourism Australia's National Wildlife Tourism Workshop: Using Wildlife for Tourism: Opportunities, Threats, Responsibilities, 3rd (Gold Coast, Australia, 16-May-2012 - 18-May-2012)
- Publisher
- Wildlife Tourism Australia
- Organisation Unit
- School of Law and Society; School of Social Sciences - Legacy; Sustainability Research Centre; USC Business School - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99450375402621
- Output Type
- Conference poster
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