Wildlife Tourism Australia

FOUNDING AND EVOLUTION The roots of Wildlife Tourism Australia can be traced back to the 1990s when various Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) across Australia were established. The centers focused on diverse fields such as the rainforest and economic studies. Among them was the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism, headquartered at Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus. The CRC involved universities and the tourism industry across Australia, and Ronda Green, an academic and wildlife tour operator, was invited to participate. Reflecting on those early days, Green recalls, “I was pleased to be part of the research team.We produced reports on birdwatching tourism in Australia and the negative and positive impacts of wildlife tourism on wildlife. Among other studies, we conducted a significant survey on kangaroo-based tourism in Australia.” The momentum from the collaborative efforts culminated in Australia’s first wildlife tourism conference in Tasmania in 2001. The need for a dedicated association focused on wildlife tourism became evident after three days of discussions and presentations. Thus, Wildlife Tourism Australia was born and officially incorporated in 2002-2003. MISSION AND MANDATE Initially, WTA’s mission statement was quite comprehensive: promoting the sustainable development of a diverse wildlife tourism industry that supports conservation. Over time, this evolved into a more concise mission: supporting environmentally sustainable wildlife tourism. Green elaborates, “Our main idea is to promote and assist wildlife tourism that first does no harm and has no major impact on wildlife and habitats. We especially promote those assisting biodiversity, like eco-lodges that regenerate native habitat on their properties or involve tourists in citizen science and conservation efforts.” A critical component of WTA’s mission is education and interpretation. Green emphasizes,“Good quality interpretation of wildlife, not just naming things, but Tasmanian devil at Devils@Cradle, Tasman 3 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 06, ISSUE 06 WI LDL I FE TOURISM AUSTRAL IA