The Communication of Conservation: The competing priorities of ecotourism and government, and what it means for the whale-watching tourist in Hervey Bay, Australia

The thesis examines the communication of conservation values in ecotourism. Both ecotourism operators and government view conservation as intrinsic to ecotourism and the sustainability of the resource. The successful communication of conservation messages to ecotourists relies on the effectiveness of all stakeholders involved in this industry working together to achieve a positive outcome. However, the competing legitimacy between these stakeholders in relation to the communication of conservation messages, to thousands of whale-watching visitors, is likely to impact the outcome and achieve less than its full potential. This would result in reduced efficacy, that combined with the learning capacity of the visitor could facilitate a low uptake of conservation messages in this industry. The thesis investigated different aspects of communication efficacy in this industry: the communication between and from stakeholders; and whether or not visitors received a conservation message. This was achieved by examining the underlying legislation, industry stakeholders and the whale-watching visitor.Submitted in the fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of the Sunshine Coast, 2008