Educating Backpackers to the Great Barrier Reef

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Educating Backpackers to the Great Barrier Reef

• By Caroline Garvey
• BA (Hons) Travel and Tourism Management

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Cairns, Australia- Study Area

• The Study Area- Cairns, Australia.

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Introduction

• One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
• 5,000 visitors in 1948 to 1.9 million in 2005.
• Majority of these visitors are backpackers
  (Tourism Australia 2005).
• GBRMPA (1984) have outlined the importance of
  education in their annual reports.

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Aim and Objectives

• Identify if actions need to be taken to educate
  backpackers visiting the Great Barrier Reef.
• Are the current management strategies of the
  GBRMPA sufficient in educating the backpacker
  market?
• Create an education model for the backpacker
  market
• Future Recommendations.

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Literature Review

• The Caribbean Conservation Corporation and Sea
  Turtle Survival League and Hands on
  Environmental Education for Aloha, Hawaii.
• Ecotourism and Education.
• Importance of Interpretation.

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Reef Teach education seminar in Cairns.
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Methodology

• Research Process
• Grounded Theory
• Qualitative Research in January 2006 in
  Australia.
• Mind Mapping (Hussey and Hussey 1997)- education
  emerged as important topic.
• Online forum was set up from October 2006- April
  2007.

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Analysis of Results

• 73.3 of backpackers are interested in receiving
  education when at the reef , the age , group
  21-25 are most keen when it comes to education
  at the reef, Unlike the age group 26-30 with
  40.0 of respondents stating that they do not
  wish to be educated.

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• Reasons for visiting the Great Barrier Reef.

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• Importance of Interpretation

Only 51.7 of backpackers received education
onboard before accessing the reef, this shows
that many operators are not complying with GBRMPA
guidelines in providing onboard interpretation.
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Popularity of Reef Teach
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Conclusions

• Tourists needs are changing and are demanding an
  interactive experience.
• Findings were all related to the cost and
  incentives available to the backpacker market.
• Majority of backpackers are on a tight budget as
  discussed by Scheyvens 2002, and wish to avoid
  the added cost of education onto their already
  costly dive trip

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Education Model

• Permanent interpretation centre
• Promote in the Lonely Planet and Greyhound
  Magazine
• Incentives
• Ecotourism certificate
• Opportunity to act stage.
• Brief safety and education seminar on board

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New Education Model
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Future Research.

• Larger sample size
• Suitable methods and places to promote education.
  
• It is unknown exactly how much backpackers are
  willing to pay and exactly what they expect to
  receive for this price.

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Any Questions?