report - Arid Areas Programme

Doreen Atkinson: A Review of International Arid Areas Research Agencies
March 2008
Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council (ECSECC)
Demand for ‘off-road’ experiences in desert Australia is growing. But very little is known
about how desert people can translate the potential of this market into sustainable
livelihoods. Desert people want to know how to balance the benefits and consequences of
increasing visitor numbers to remote, and to culturally and environmentally sensitive
places. 16
The first stage of the project will develop an understanding of 4WD tourism markets,
their motivations, trip preferences and behaviour. A geographic information system
called Visualising Relatively Unpredictable Movement (VRUM) is being developed to
map out the flows of 4WD travellers across desert Australia and describe the interactions
between visitors, settlements, infrastructure and natural and cultural resources. The
framework will be immediately useful for identifying where such interactions may occur
and facilitating community, business and government engagement in managed 4WD
tourism development. The framework will lead to the development of knowledge
products to address specific management issues.
These may include product development guides for communities, ‘safe travel’ protocols
for visitors and settlements, impact assessment and forecasting models, and education
and training resources which will be addressed in stage 2.
There are many issues affecting the development of 4WD tourism: safety and responsible
driving practices, land tenure access, economic opportunities for Aboriginal
communities, changes in travel technology, changes in holiday travel patterns and so on.
On Track incorporates seven specific areas of investigation: some of which are well
underway:
• Information gathering – Collate relevant data sets to describe desert 4WD systems
and make the usefulness of these known to researchers through a data dictionary.
• Information Representation – Develop techniques for presenting data sources
including a geographic information system and visitor flows model.
• Innovation constraints and opportunities – Describe opportunities that exist for
desert communities to develop viable livelihoods around 4WD tourism.
• Market profiling of the different desert 4WD tourism markets to assist marketing
and management.
• 'The ideal 4WD experience' – Analyse travel diaries, web logs (blogs), popular
literature and other qualitative sources to identify the key elements of 4WD
tourism experiences.
• Responsible travel practices – Research issues relating to safety, legal
compliance, and environmentally and culturally appropriate behavior in desert
4WD systems.
Partners include universities, provincial governments, 4x4 associations, indigenous
groups, and tourism agencies.
16
http://www.desertknowledgecrc.com.au/research/4wdtourism.html.
19