Evaluation of Organised Tourism involving Wild Kangaroos

Abstract

This report provides an evaluation of existing organised opportunities for viewing free-ranging kangaroos in Australia and provides recommendations for best practice. "Kangaroo" is used as shorthand for any of the 60 or so species of the superfamily Macropodoidea. Objectives: The aims of this study were to: 1. Describe and classify the current scope of kangaroo-related tourism in Australia. 2. With respect to business management, visitors, interpretation, kangaroo management and environmental management: • Describe distinctive features of kangaroo-related tourism • Describe elements of current best practice • Identify weaknesses • Make recommendations regarding practices to enhance sustainability of kangaroo-related tourism. 3. Describe and evaluate facilities and tools available to support kangaroo-related tourism, and make recommendations for their appropriate development. Methods: 1. Existing Australian kangaroo-related tourism enterprises were described, based on a database of enterprises collated from promotional materials, specialist magazines, host farm guides and word-of-mouth. 2. A sample of 20 enterprises was selected as potentially providing best practice models of kangaroo-related tourism. Phone erviews, visitor surveys, and site visits to 10 of these were used to collect information on business management, visitor characteristics and reactions, nature of kangaroo encounters and impacts, interpretation and environmental management. These enterprises were evaluated against best practice principles. The data on which this study is based were collected in late 1999.