Jeremy Buultjens

Public-private partnerships in protected areas: exploring relationships between New South Wales National Parks and their private visitor service providers

Erica Wilson et al. — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:05:49 PST

From lessees to partners: exploring relationships between NSW NPWS and private visitor facility providers

Noah Nielsen et al. — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 19:54:32 PST

The New South Wales (NSW) National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) manages over 600 parks and reserves, including four World Heritage Areas. In total, the NSW NPWS protects around 6 million hectares (or 7%) of the State’s land mass. It is estimated that NSW’s parks attract over 22 million visits per year and are a major drawcard for both domestic and international visitors. While historically many people’s experiences in National Parks have been based on an escape into nature and the avoidance of ‘commercial’ activities, visitors are increasingly demanding additional services, infrastructure and experiences. In responding to these demands, parks agencies have chosen to pursue select partnerships with the private sector to provide some these complementary visitor services. In NSW, the NPWS administers over 2000 occupancies by way of leases, licences, easements and contracts. These include around 600 sub leases in Thredbo and over 200 cabin licences. There are 250 direct concession arrangements with the private sector, local government bodies, telecommunications companies, infrastructure suppliers that are publicly listed on the website as these concession arrangements meet legislative requirements for listing on the public register. Primarily, these concession

Sustainable forest-based tourism in Northeast New South Wales, Australia: a problematic goal

Jeremy Buultjens et al. — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:25:56 PDT

Sustainable tourism is seen as capable of providing both rural economic development and valorizing conservation. Unfortunately, it appears that many nature-based tourism operations are struggling to maintain the financial viability required to ensure this occurs. This study examined 41 forest-based tourism businesses in northeast New South Wales, Australia, to assess their ability to contribute to sustainable tourism. The businesses employed an average of 5.6 staff per business, including the owner(s). Approximately 61% of businesses had a gross income of less than AUS$100,000 and 40% of operators had a combined household income under AUS$25,000. A relatively large number of operators suggested that they were forced to charge fees that were either below cost or at cost. All operators suggested that their businesses did not have a negative impact on the environment, although nearly 46% of operators stated they had concerns about the environmental impact of their competitors. The overall results indicated that a majority of forest-based tourism operators in northeast NSW, because of their financial position, are probably not contributing substantially to local economic development and would have trouble adopting environmentally sustainable practices.

Trust perceptions of online travel information by different content creators: some social and legal implications

Stephen Burgess et al. — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 09:14:40 PDT

Consumers are increasingly turning to the online environment to provide information to assist them in making purchase decisions related to travel products. They often rely on travel recommendations from different sources, such as sellers, independent experts and, increasingly, other consumers. A new type of online content, usergenerated content (UGC), provides a number of legal and social challenges to providers and users of that content, especially in relation to areas such as defamation, misrepresentation and social embarrassment. This paper reports research that examined the level of trustworthiness of online travel information from these different sources. The study used a survey of Australian travel consumers (n= 12,000) and results support the notion that there are differences in the level of trust for online travel information from different sources. Respondents ‘tended to agree’ that they trusted information provided by travel agents, information from commercial operators and comments made by travellers on third party websites. However, the highest level of trust was afforded to information provided on State government tourism websites. These results suggest that greater trust is placed in online travel comments when they are on a specific travel website than when they are on a more generic social networking website. However, respondents were ‘not sure’ that they trusted comments made by travellers on weblogs and on social networking sites. Some 88% of respondents that had not visited UGC websites (or were unsure if they had) indicated that they thought that UGC would be useful in the future – suggesting that they feel that any concerns they may have in relation to legal and social problems resulting from its use will be resolved.

Industrial relations in Australia: work and workplaces

Richard Sappey et al. — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:05:46 PDT

Tourism and its implications for management in Ruhuna National Park (Yala), Sri Lanka

Jeremy Buultjens et al. — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:05:45 PDT

Tourism in protected areas in Sri Lanka has the potential to provide economic development as well as sources of the funding for maintaining the environmental values of national parks. However, for this to occur it is important tourism is managed in a sustainable manner. This paper uses a case study approach to examine the characteristics and problems associated with tourism in the most popular National Park in Sri Lanka–Ruhuna (Yala). It is clear there are a number of environmental effects arising from tourism that are degrading the natural values of the protected area resulting in lower amenity value for tourists. The problems associated with tourism are exacerbated by the lack of recognition given to the impacts resulting from religious tourists visiting the area and the lack of controls placed on their behaviour within the Park. Management has introduced various measures aimed at alleviating the problems caused by tourism, such as monthly meetings with tour operators and the provision of educational and interpretative material for local people. In addition, there are plans to construct a new road to reduce congestion currently experienced on the Park roads. However, unless funding is increased and more consideration is given to the religious tourists and their impacts, tourism in the Park will not be sustainable.

Did labour market programs reduce employment in Australia’s regions?

Dennis Howard et al. — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:05:44 PDT

Generation Y and innovator employers in the Australian tourism and hospitality industry

Grant Cairncross et al. — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:05:43 PDT

It appears that there are employers who believe that Generation Y employees are often problematic. The technology. mass marketing. poLitical times, and pop-culture in which Generation Y have grown up has ensured they have appreciably different ambitions and worLd views to previous generations. This paper reports the results of a study examining tourism and hospitality employer views of Generation Y employees and how some employers are attempting to draw upon the strengths of these workers. Focus groups with. and interviews of employers in Coffs Harbour. Cairns, South East Queensland, Sydney and Port Douglas were used to gain an understanding of employer views. The focus groups and interviews indicated that a sizeable number of tourism and hospitality managers believe Generation Y's beLiefs in the types of work that they should be doing in their formative years in the workpLace is a substantial probLem for their organisations. However, a minority group of empLoyers identified Generation Y's attitudes to work as an opportunity to tap into their strengths and to connect with their potentiaL customer base. A number of iconic Generation Y cultural 'tools' have been adopted by this more visionary group of tourism and hospitality empLoyers and are being used for recruitment and retention.

Enterprise bargaining under the Workplace Relations Act 1996 in construction and hospitality small businesses: a comparative study

Grant Cairncross et al. — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:05:42 PDT

A major change in Australian industrial relations system since the early 1990S has been the shift from conciliation and arbitration to formalized enterprise and individual bargaining. These changes occurred at the federal and state levels. At the federal level, the introduction of individual bargaining through Australian 'Workplace Agreements (A\VAs) and award simplification has resulted in substantially reduced reliance on awards. However, the small business sector has been viewed as reluctant participants in formalized bargaining for various reasons. Despite this reluctance, during the late J990S there have been increasing numbers of small businesses negotiating collective agreements at the federal level. This article examines J02 certified agreements involving small firms from the construction and hospitality industries in order to identify the outcomes from these agreements. The study found that the increasing incidence of small businesses adopting enterprise agreements are largely due to the fact that state awards have disappeared in Victoria thereby nec~ssitating a move to certified agreements under the federal 'Workplace Relations Act J 996. The study shows that in smaIJ to medium enterprises employees who are highly organized, and represented by unions, can obtain improvements to conditions of employment under enterprise bargaining. These conditions are often obtained through the use of sustained pattern bargaining campaigns, particularly in the construction indusu)" and especially in Victoria, Conversely, where union coverage is weak employers are capable of using enterprise bargaining to obtain changes in working conditions that, with regard to pay rates, penalty rates and flexible hours of work in particular, are of benefit to the employers and are in some cases a major change to those existing under the award.

Managing for sustainable commercial whitewater rafting in Northern NSW (Presentation)

Jeremy Buultjens — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:47:44 PDT

The development of an Indigenous eco-tourism micro-enterprise in northern Australia (Presentation)

Don Fuller et al. — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:20:26 PDT

Facilitators and impediments arising from the introduction of a voluntary responsible gambling code of practice in Queensland Australia (Presentation)

Helen Breen et al. — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:20:25 PDT

Hospitality industry and determination: a case study of registered clubs in New South Wales

Jeremy Buultjens — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:35:11 PDT

Wage(1) flexibility is of particular importance for the hospitality industry, since wages are usually its largest single cost item. The payment of penalty rates is another important issue facing the industry. The critics of Australia's centralised industrial relations system, such as the Business Council of Australia (BCA) (1989) and the Confederation of Australian Industry (CAI) (1990), would argue that the hospitality industry should be a major beneficiary from the decentralisation of the system that has occurred during the 1990s.

These critics have assumed that awards and the involvement of the trade union movement in wage determination have resulted in the prescription of above-market wages for individual enterprises. The critics assumed that release from these constraints, through formalised enterprise bargaining, would result in considerably improved competitiveness for Australian enterprises.

This paper, using data from a study of registered clubs in New South Wales, examines wage determination in the hospitality sector and the impact of awards, trade unions and enterprise bargaining on the process. The study found that no registered club had entered into formal enterprise bargaining. Despite the absence of formal enterprise bargaining the existence of awards and the presence of trade unions, registered clubs undertook a lot of informal bargaining and had a high degree of wage flexibility.

The economic value of Southern Cross University on the Lismore region economy: an input-output analysis

Lucy Walsh et al. — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:14:21 PDT

The economic value of Southern Cross University on the Coffs Coast region economy: an input-output analysis

Lucy Walsh et al. — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:14:20 PDT

The economic value of Southern Cross University on the Tweed-Gold Coast economy: an input-output analysis

Simon J. Wilde et al. — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:14:19 PDT

Did Labour Market Programs Reduce Unemployment in Australia's Regions?

Dennis Howard et al. — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:26:29 PDT

Indigenous tourism: the possibilities into the future

Jeremy Buultjens et al. — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:26:28 PDT

Indigenous Australians in remote Australia. In the next sections Indigenous tourism and the supply and demand of Indigenous tourism are examined. The background to the DKCRC is described in the following section, and a model that illustrates the linkages between the DKCRC, the academic community, government and industry is suggested. A discussion of the potential for the DKCRC to improve the performance of the Indigenous tourism sector follows and a 10-step model is proposed that could be utilised by the DKCRC to develop Indigenous tourism in remote regions. This is then followed by a discussion of the potential for the DKCRC to meet the recent recommendations for changes to the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Program.

Synergies between Australian indigenous tourism and ecotourism: possibilities and problems for future development

Jeremy Buultjens et al. — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:26:27 PDT

This paper examines and finds synergies between indigenous tourism and ecotourism in Australia. Both were recognised in the 2003 Tourism White Paper as drawcards for international tourists; Tourism Australia markets both as two of the country's seven key visitor experiences. Despite this, and the proven need to assist indigenous peoples' socio-economic position, the indigenous tourism sector remains relatively immature. The paper, using a mixed-methods approach, including in-depth discussions with 26 indigenous tourism businesses, examines this problem and suggests ways forward. The results indicate that between 50% and 70% of indigenous tourism businesses are located in remote or very remote areas and utilise the environment to a substantial degree. Communities, couples and families dominate ownership patterns. Only 25% operate on a full-time basis. However, indigenous operators do not necessarily see themselves as being “ecotourism” businesses, despite their concern for and care of country. Very few are accredited: the ecotourism accreditation process is complex and expensive with guidelines based upon Westernised views of nature. Major changes in accreditation practice are suggested along with education and support for indigenous tourism businesses to ensure a stronger relationship between indigenous tourism and ecotourism and to improve Aboriginals' socio-economic status.

Climate change policies and Australian tourism: scoping study of the economic aspects; Climate change and Australian tourism: a scoping study

Peter J. Forsyth et al. — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:56:02 PDT