Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2008. / Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts and Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 339-402)

Tourism is the fastest growing sector in the world. It represents 10% of the global GDP and generates one in 11 jobs. Nature tourism has become increasingly popular in the last few decades and it is predicted to keep increasing. Wildlife watching has initially been welcomed by conservation and environmental organisations as a conservation tool. However, we now know that these activities can have severe consequences for the environment and for the local communities. In this thesis, I have provided advice on the governance approaches and management tools that can be used to facilitate sustainable outcomes of nature tourism socioecological systems. First, I used semi-quantitative models to investigate nature tourism systems' dynamics under perturbations and the properties that confer resilience to the system, as well as leading to sustainable outcomes. Then, after validating the use of social media data to quantify nature tourism activities in Scotland, I used it to identify the major drivers of intensity of nature tourism on a national scale. I then obtained a global picture of nature tourism and its role in helping countries to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In the end, I designed an individual-based model to test how different tourists' phenotypes influence the sustainability of a nature tourism destination and whether any governance regime could be effective in maintaining sustainable socioeconomic and ecological dynamics. This work will be useful to inform management of local, national and global scale governance of nature tourism. Caution is needed when promoting the expansion of a country's tourism sector before determining how to manage it sustainably. Scotland has already developed some of the governance institutions that could contribute to sustainable governance of nature tourism. What is needed now is designing flexible rules and institutions that will be able to adapt to future changes.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geographical and Environmental Studies, 2000. / Bibliography: leaves 378-402.

Wildlife viewing is a form of recreation that is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world, particularly in African protected areas. In order for protected area managers to cater for this demand effectively, managers need to incorporate wildlife viewing recreation into the planning and development of protected areas. Protected area management has traditionally focused on the management of wildlife populations and habitats to the exclusion of visitor recreational needs. Where visitor needs have been incorporated into the planning and development of protected areas, this has been through the provision of inputs such as facilities and wildlife. The experience-based management (EBM) approach to recreation however proposes that people engage in particular recreation opportunities in order to attain certain desired benefits or outcomes. Madikwe Game reserve provides visitors with the opportunity to view a wide variety of game. The aims of this study were to (1) provide an understanding of what visitors sought from their experience~ regarding wildlife viewing in Madikwe Game Reserve (2) classify the types of experiences desired by visitors to the reserve using the EBM model as a framework and (3) examine management implications of results. A survey of visitors was conducted in the reserve using a Pre-visit and a Postvisit questionnaire. Results from 178 respondents indicated that well-known species as well as rare/endangered specie: were the most popular among visitors. Respondents were generally very satisfied with their wildlife viewing experiences in terms of species abundance and variety, and information received about animals. The results also suggest that additional information about items other than wildlife could enhance the experiences of visitors to Madikwe. Three distinct wildlife viewing experiences desired by visitors were identified, namely a High Involvement Experience, which had the highest interest in almost all recreational opportunities, a Generalist Experience characterised by a moderate interest in recreational opportunities and an Occasionalist Experience that displayed the least interest. While the Occasionalist Experience is presently adequately catered for in Madikwe, lodge and park manager can provide for the High Involvement and Generalist Experiences more efficiently by expanding the wildlife viewing experience that is currently offered in the reserve. This would be done primarily through the expansion of informational items provided, and the development of activities associated with wildlife viewing. The success of such measures would be dependent on the adoption of a cooperative strategy between lodge managers, park managers and other relevant stakeholders. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for a Masters of Management Sciences: Tourism and Hospitality Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / In the hospitality industry, the costs associated with promotions and advertising efforts are greater than those of maintaining relationships with existing customers. However, customer loyalty programmes have been discovered and promoted by different marketing managers and marketing experts in the different industries, as a most prominent and paramount business marketing tool in ensuring customer retention. The purpose of this research study is to assess the effectiveness of a Customer Loyalty Programme as a marketing tool in the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) Resorts. This study strategy is quantitative in nature because of its capability to attain a large number of respondents in a short space of time. The target population of this study is the customer loyalty members of EKZNW, in eight different resorts. Descriptive research was found to be relevant and appropriate for this study. A non-probability sampling, with a convenience sampling technique, was adopted for this research study, to recruit members of the EKZNW Rhino Club’s loyalty programme as participants. It was adopted because it allows for quick gathering of data and is also representative of the population. The sample size for data collection was conducted with 376 respondents that are loyalty programme members of EKZNW. A questionnaire was developed as measuring instrument, with the questions designed to be closed-ended. These questionnaires were personally distributed to the respondents in all the selected resorts of EKZNW. The findings of the study indicated that the majority of tourists holding EKZNW loyalty programme membership are happy with being Rhino Club members, however, some are not satisfied with the incentives provided. They recommend that the Rhino Card should be designed to allow them to also use it in other provinces’ game parks. / M

South Africa's well-established history of formally protected areas has resulted in it becoming a global leader in resource conservation and a pioneer of new management techniques. Roughly thirty years ago, South Africa became one of the earliest countries in the world to legislatively recognise wilderness. Since the first wilderness areas were designated, use and management issues have become increasingly complex as managers strive to balance the biological and social values of wilderness areas. Consequently, it is imperative that management techniques and strategies evolve to preserve wilderness values and resources in South Africa. Wilderness visitor education and information programs are a critical part of an effective wilderness management strategy. To ensure that wilderness education and information systems are inclusive and able to evolve over time three elements are needed. A management framework must be in place to ensure that a system-wide approach is established and maintained. Once a system-wide framework is established, wilderness education and information systems can be inventoried and monitored against established management goals. This information can then be used to continually refine and improve wilderness information and education systems as they evolve through increased understanding of use and management Issues. Lastly, increased wilderness-specific research and continued testing of current research in the South African context is needed, to ensure that management strategies stay relevant and adaptive. These adaptive management strategies will serve as the foundation for wider coordination of wilderness management and research at the provincial and national levels, further developing South Africa's leadership role in protected area management in Africa and the global community. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

Bibliography: leaves 378-402. / xviii, 402 leaves : ill. (chiefly col.), maps (chiefly col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Explores the status and nature of interpretation within the Australian whale watching industry, on both a national scale and as it is practiced at three diverse case study sites along the southern coast, and develops strategies which may enable this form of tourism to reach it's highest educative potential / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geographical and Environmental Studies, 2000