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The dynamics of a coastal tourism development: attitudes, perceptions and processes
Report   Open access

The dynamics of a coastal tourism development: attitudes, perceptions and processes

C. Pforr, J. Macbeth, K. Clark, J. Fountain and D. Wood
CRC Technical Report, CRC for Sustainable Tourism
2006
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Abstract

In Western Australia, similar to other parts of Australia, opposition to large scale development has been strong in recent times, well organised and effective, with proposed developments not proceeding as planned. This was, for instance, the case with a large scale development proposal at Maud’s Landing in the north west of Western Australia, which had attracted a great deal of predominantly negative publicity. It appears that the group of opponents to such development has broadened over recent years to include both the general public and tourists themselves. Notably, this ‘general public’ opposition is far wider than the residents of planned development sites and appears to include the general population and visitors to specific regions alike. Given that this opposition appears to be strengthening there is a need for research to understand what needs to be improved to ensure future tourism developments are supported by the ‘community of interest’. By understanding the responses of the ‘community of interest’ to tourism development, whether support or opposition, development alternatives can be selected, which will minimise negative social and environmental impacts and maximise support for tourism development. The overall purpose of this study is to describe, analyse and explain the political processes which led to the Western Australian government’s decision to reject the proposed resort and marina complex at Maud’s Landing in July 2003. The project’s findings are presented in two parts; first, an introduction to the case study area is given, followed by a detailed analysis of the history of the events and documents surrounding the proposed development at Maud’s Landing. Second, primary research with the ‘community of interest’ is presented in an effort to explore and understand the attitudes and perceptions of intrastate, interstate and international visitors to tourism development at Maud’s Landing.

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