Opportunities to Promote Travel and Tourism for Greenbushes 6254, Western Australia
This study provides an evaluation of Greenbushes 6254, Western Australia, to best determine how to preserve its culture and heritage to attract more tourists to use the local hotels, shops, and businesses. To this end, the study identifies those factors that have been shown to motivate cultural-heritage tourists to visit various destinations. An evaluation of the potential for Greenbushes 6254 to promote its cultural-heritage tourism features while preserving its existing attractor factors with the support of Lotterywest grants and community engagement is followed by an outline of the study’s methodology and a description of the data collection process. Finally, a discussion concerning the special expertise that was required for the study is followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.
Aims and Objectives
The overarching aim of the study was to identify opportunities for the community leaders of Bridgetown-Greenbushes to promote their shire as a cultural-heritage tourism destination while preserving those cultural-heritage elements that make their community a desirable destination in the first place. In support of this overarching aim, the study had three main objectives as follows:
1. Deliver a comprehensive, critical review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning cultural-heritage tourism in general and cultural-heritage tourism in rural Australian communities in particular.
2. Develop and administer a custom survey instrument to a population of Australian consumers concerning their views about cultural-heritage tourism and which attractor factors are most salient in attracting tourists to a rural destination.
3. Deliver a synthesis of the secondary and primary data to provide recommendations for the community leaders of Greenbushes concerning cultural-heritage developmental initiatives.
Rationale in Support of Project Selection
The global travel and tourism industry has experienced phenomenal growth over the past few decades (Confer & Kerstettler 2000). Indeed, increasing numbers of tourists are traveling at home and abroad, and in the process, worldwide spending on travel and tourism has more than doubled in recent years (Confer & Kerstettler 2000). One of the fastest-growing segments of the global travel and tourism industry is cultural-heritage tourism. For instance, according to Huibin and Marzuki (2013, p. 51), “In the field of tourism study, cultural heritage has been regarded as one of the most important attractions. The great charms with irresistible temptations from cultural heritage destinations have been enthralling tourists all over the world.” In sum, cultural-heritage tourism concerns the “cultural traditions, places and values that … groups throughout the world are proud to conserve. Cultural traditions such as family patterns, religious practices, folklore traditions, and social customs attract individuals interested in heritage” (Confer & Kerstettler 2000, p. 28).
Contributing Factors
In reality, the Bridgetown-Greenbushes community leaders are faced with some profound challenges in promoting their community as a cultural-heritage tourism destination. Despite these challenges, the community does have some significant attractor factors available for cultural-tourism promotion. Besides viticulture, scenic trails and some quaint farmhouses and historic bridges (see Figures 1 and 2 below), one of the major draws that shire boasts in its visitors’ center is a collection of more than 100 completed jigsaw puzzles, the largest such collection in the Southern Hemisphere. This collection may provide a springboard for the shire’s cultural-heritage tourism efforts. For instance, according to Staiff (2003, p. 143), “There are 60 army museums in Australia. Equally impressive are the enormous number of town/regional museums that are often described as ‘amateur’ collections of the paraphernalia of recent domestic/town life.” Therefore, the potential exists for the community to use this jigsaw puzzle collection to stage an annual jigsaw puzzle completion contest or similar event to raise awareness of Bridgetown-Greenbushes as a destination of choice for cultural-heritage tourists in Western Australia.
Research Questions
This study was guided by the following research questions:
1. What are the major attractor factors for rural destinations in Australia such as Bridgetown-Greenbushes?
2. What current attractor factors does Bridgetown-Greenbushes have that can be used to promote the community as a cultural-heritage destination?
3. What types of grants are available from Lotterywest to promote cultural-heritage tourism to Bridgetown-Greenbushes?
4. How can the community leaders in Bridgetown-Greenbushes use the available resources to improve cultural-heritage tourism arrivals in the future?
Chapter Two:
Review of the Relevant Literature
Background and Overview
Although it was once an independent shire, the shire of Bridgetown recently incorporated the shire of Greenbushes, creating Bridgetown-Greenbushes (Greenbushes 2004). The site of Greenbushes proper is located about 250 kilometers south of Perth and just 17 kilometers away from Bridgetown, the community depends on the mining and timber industries, as well as tourism and farming (Greenbushes 2004). According to the promotional material provided by the Bridgetown-Greenbushes’ Web site, “Our beautiful region is the jewel in the crown of the South-West. Located literally in the centre of the South-West, you are close to forests and National Parks, wineries, heritage walks and trails, and some of the state’s most stunning heritage buildings. Bridgetown was recognised as a ‘Heritage Town’ in 2000” (About the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes 2014, p. 1). The Bridgetown-Greenbushes’ Web site does not feature any upcoming events on its Web site, but it does provide two pictures of attractor factors (a historic bridge and a farm).
Some relevant statistics for the Bridgetown-Greenbushes community are set forth in Table 1 below.
Table 1
Bridgetown-Greenbushes Shire Statistics
Category
Statistics
Distance from Perth
269 km (Bridgetown)
Length of Sealed Roads
247.71 kms
Length of Unsealed Roads
553.58 kms
Population
4,670 (estimated)
Number of electors
3,158
Number of dwellings
2,176
Total Rates
$3,102,960
Number of Employees (FTE)
49
Total Revenue
$6,999,505
Forestry – Hectates of State Forest
58,625ha
Total Area (sq km)
1,691
From a cultural-heritage perspective, Greenbushes has something to offer domestic and foreign visitors. For example, according to an article in The Sydney Morning Herald, “Greenbushes is an interesting and unusual old timber and mining town” (Greenbushes 2014). Part of the current charm of the Greenbushes community is its “wild west” character. For instance, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, “The Greenbushes is really an old mining town. It came into existence in 1888 after tin had been found in the district by a Mines Department surveyor in 1886” (Greenbushes 2014, p. 3).
The Bunbury Tin Mining was Greenbushes’ first enterprise, and following its establishment, several other companies followed suit (Greenbushes 2014). The community’s fortunes have been inextricably interrelated to the mining industry ever since. For instance, The Sydney Morning Herald reports that, “The town boomed until 1893 when a world slump in the price of tin saw the local industry collapse. Since then the town’s population and productivity have fluctuated according to the demand and price of the metal” (Greenbushes 2014). The 1904 census for Greenbushes provides some indication of the demographics of the community at the fin de siecle. In this regard, The Sydney Morning Herald notes that the 1904 census included “159 miners who were serviced by 9 storekeepers, 8 builders, 2 tin smiths, 7 carpenters, solicitors, mining agents, chemists, butchers, tailors, bootmakers, bakers and a blacksmith” (Greenbushes 2014, p. 3). A decade later, the community’s population had grown to 2,000, with about 25% of these residents being employed in the burgeoning timber industry (Greenbushes 2014).
The Bridgetown-Greenbushes community has some other valuable cultural-heritage attractor factors available to help promote their shire, including the Geegelup Heritage Trail that interprets the “Exploration and settlement of the Bridgetown-Greenbushes District” including the 1891 post office (privately operated for the past 44 years); the 1907 Roads Board Office (the site of one of the early mines) and the Greenbushes Historical Park that presents an interpretation of the community’s colorful history as center for tin mining (Greenbushes 2014). According to The Sydney Morning Herald, “In the park are old pieces of machinery as well as a mine shaft with a head frame and a replica of a prospectors hut. The town’s mining past is also recalled in a series of information boards which were placed around the town in 1988 to help visitors understand what the town was like when it was booming and successful” (Greenbushes 2014, p. 3). Iinterested tourists can still arrange for visits to the Whittaker’s Timber Mill (although active mining operations have been shut down as discussed further below), and the Greenbushes Tin Mine by making inquiries to local merchants (Greenbushes 2014). The community’s hotels include the Exchange Hotel and the Shamrock Hotel which both feature restaurants (Greenbushes 2014).
The Greenbushes community is in dire need of expanded travel and tourism opportunities. Just 2 years ago, Whittakers Timber Products was widely regarded as one of the largest sawmill and processing operations in Western Australia’s enormously valuable hardwood industry. According to Garnett (2013), though, the Whittakers Timber Products mill ceased operations in 2013 and the full economic impact of the closure through the loss of hundreds of job has been severe (Garnett 2013). In this regard, Schirmer (2009, p. 14) emphasizes that, “The Whittakers’ mill closure represents a stark departure from the trends in 2005-2006 when the forestry industry in Western Australia employed more than 5,500 people, with approximately 16 per cent based in Bridgetown-Greenbushes, and provided economic benefits of in excess of $1 billion to the state each year.” As noted above, there have also been tin-sluicing operations at Greenbushes since 1888, but the production levels have historically been on a very limited scale (Crowley, 1960).
Therefore, identifying new cultural-heritage tourism opportunities for this community represents a timely and valuable enterprise. In this regard, Lew (2011, p. 554) emphasises that, “Without tourist attractions there would be no tourism. Without tourism there would be no tourist attractions. Although a tautology, such an argument still points to the fundamental importance of tourist attractions and the attractiveness of places to tourism.” The research to date has resulted in some mixed views about what constitutes the fundamental concept of “tourist attraction” including terms such as “exploitable resources,” “marketable products,” “images,” place “attributes,” and “features” (Lew 2011). Despite the differing terminology involved, there is a general consensus that attractions represent the basic components of tourism development (Lew 2011). According to Lew (2011, p. 555), “In essence, tourist attractions consist of all those elements of a ‘non-home’ place that draw discretionary travellers away from their homes.
They usually include landscapes to observe, activities to participate in, and experiences to remember.” Likewise, Palmer and Wolff (2008) cite the prevailing practice of dividing tourism into different types, including cultural-heritage tourism, but the majority of the research to date focuses on what features of a destination are sufficiently compelling to attract people from their homes. In this regard, Palmer and Wolff (2008, p. 215) report that, “Although there are many ways of creating ‘categories of tourist attractions,’ most studies focused on tourist attractors attempt to answer the question: ‘What are the forces that cause people to leave home during their leisure time?'”
Despite this general consensus, though, differentiating tourist attraction from non-attractions can be problematic because some resources can serve in both capacities. For instance, Lew (2011, p. 555) points out that, “Transportation (e.g., cruise liners), accommodations (e.g., resorts), and other services (e.g., restaurants) can themselves take on the attributes of an attraction, further comp1icating the distinction between various segments of the tourism industry. At times, tourists themselves can even become attractions.”
Therefore, it is possible for communities such as Greenbushes to promote local resources in ways that will make them tourist attractions. According to Lew (2011), one definition requires just three basic elements to qualify as a tourist attraction: (a) tourists, (b) a site to be viewed, and (c) a marker or image that interprets the site’s significance. As Lew (2011, p. 555) points out, “These criteria could enable virtually anything to become a tourist attraction.” Consequently, viewed in its most expanded context, tourist attractions can include the types of attractions that are typically associated with the term (historic sites, amusement parks, and spectacular scenery) as well as the facilities and services that serve the tourist population (Lew 2011). In addition, tourist attractions can also include “the social institutions which form the basis for the very existence of human habitation” (Lew 2011, p. 555).
Taken together, there are several aspects of Greenbushes that can be used to promote cultural-heritage tourism, but it is important to understand precisely what the terminology means. In this regard, Palmer and Wolff (2008, p. 217) point out that, “The ‘cultural’ part of the term ‘cultural heritage’ requires that the category include a distinctiveness, regardless of what else may distinguish the category of people.” While there remains some controversy among travel and tourism scholars concerning the best approach to defining “heritage,” there is also a general consensus that in order to satisfy the criteria for a cultural-heritage destination, the “heritage” aspect must of the attractor must be regarded as possessing a specific temporal dimension because “strictly speaking, heritage refers to that which has been or may be inherited” (Palmer & Wolff 2008, p. 218). This means that the community leaders in Greenbushes will need to identify some dimension of their heritage such as the shire’s long-time mining history that can be used to attract additional tourists to the region.
In sum, Greenbushes may already possess the attractors that are needed to generate additional travel and tourism but they have not adequately promoted them for this purpose. There are some resources that are available to help communities such as Greenbushes promote their cultural-heritage aspects for increased tourism, though, including grants from Lotterywest. Every year, Lotterywest awards 1,000 grants totalling more than $100,000,000 for this purpose (Working for you 2014). According to Lotterywest’s Web site, “The volume of our grants and the number of organisations we support provides us with a unique vantage point. Collectively we collaborate on all kinds of ideas and projects to find ways to maximise the benefit to communities” (Working for you 2014, p. 2). The award of a grant by Lotterywest, though, typically requires a concomitant investment by the community (Working for you 2014). Many of the past grants awarded by Lotterywest were specifically targeted at cultural-heritage-related initiatives, including those set forth in Table 2 below.
Table 2
Representative Past Grants by Lotterywest
Recipient
Purpose
Amount
Suburb
24/03/2014
West Australian Mountain Bike Association Incorporated
To plan a series of new trails in the Dwellingup area including downhill and cross-country off-road bike trails.
$22,500
WEST LEEDERVILLE
24/03/2014
Toodyay Festivals Inc.
Towards the 2014 Toodyay Moondyne Festival held on the 4th of May that will bring the community together to celebrate its colonial heritage.
$9,840
TOODYAY
24/03/2014
City of South Perth Historical Society Incorporated
Towards equipment to support the activities of a historical society operating in Heritage House in South Perth.
$5,000
SOUTH PERTH
24/03/2014
Perth International Jazz Festival Inc.
Towards the 2014 Perth International Jazz Festival which includes a range of free and low-cost performances and activities as well as access to world-class performers.
$100,000
PERTH
24/03/2014
Nepali Association of Western Australia (NAWA) Incorporated
Towards the Baisakh Sakranti (Nepali New Year 2014) Multicultural Celebration, which will assist the Nepali community to preserve their culture and share it with the wider community.
$4,500
WEMBLEY
24/03/2014
Shire of Mount Magnet
Towards the Astro Rocks Fest event to be held in May 2014 in Mount Magnet. The event will provide the opportunity to bring the community together and to celebrate, explore and discover the unique geological and astronomic attributes associated with the area.
$10,497
MOUNT MAGNET
24/03/2014
Royal Western Australian Historical Society Incorporated
To support the attendance of delegates from remote and regional locations to the 2014 Royal Western Australian Historical Society’s Conference, to share knowledge associated with the State’s heritage.
$9,058
NEDLANDS
24/02/2014
Law Society of Western Australia
Towards the design and interpretive signage for the Old Court House Law Museum.
$50,780
PERTH
24/02/2014
Northampton Historical Society Incorporated
Towards interpretive signage for the outdoor display items at Chiverton House in Northampton.
$3,000
NORTHAMPTON
4/02/2014
Eastern Goldfields Historical Society Inc.
Towards an Interpretation Plan for the Kanowna Heritage Trail, Kalgoorlie.
$19,380
BOULDER
24/02/2014
City of Armadale
Towards an Interpretation Plan for the Bert Tyler Vintage Machinery Museum in Armadale.
$6,000
ARMADALE
24/02/2014
City of Bunbury
Towards the design, development and installation of interpretive signage at the King Cottage Museum, Bunbury.
$23,734
BUNBURY
24/02/2014
Shire of Broome
Towards the Heritage Signage Project in Chinatown, Broome.
$30,000
BROOME
24/02/2014
City of Busselton
Towards the development, design and installation of interpretive signage throughout the Vasse section of the South West Rail Trail.
$40,950
BUSSELTON
Chapter Three:
Methodology
Data-Gathering Approach
The secondary data needed for the proposed study was collected using a review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning cultural-heritage tourism in general and for rural Australian communities in particular. The primary data for the proposed study was collected using an online custom survey instrument hosted by SurveyMonkey that was designed to assess potential cultural-heritage tourists’ views concerning desirable attractor factors. The use of both secondary and primary data is highly congruent with the guidance provided by Dennis and Harris (2002, p. 39) who advise, “Primary data are information that is being collected for the first time in order to address a specific research problem. This means that it is likely to be directly relevant to the research, unlike secondary data, which may be out of date or collected for a totally different purpose. Ideally, an effective research project should incorporate both primary and secondary data.”
Special Expertise Required
The design of the custom survey will require special expertise. Therefore, the guidance set forth in Table 3 provided by Neuman (2003) was followed:
Table 3
Steps to Research Survey Development and Administration
Step
Description
Step No. 1
Develop research questions/hypotheses.
Decide on type of survey.
Write survey questions.
Decide on response categories.
Design layout.
Step No. 2
Plan how to record data.
Step No. 3
Decide on target population.
Get sampling frame.
Decide on sample size.
Select sample.
Step No. 4
Locate respondents.
Administer survey.
Carefully record data.
Step No. 5
Enter data into computers.
Recheck all data.
Perform statistical analysis on data.
Step No. 6
Describe methods and findings in research report.
Present findings to other for critique and evaluation.
Source: Neuman, 2003 at p. 268
A proforma copy of the finalized online survey instrument is provided at Appendix A.
Ethical Considerations
Research involving humans always introduces some ethical issues (Neuman 2003). Therefore, all survey respondents will be assured of their anonymity and the fact that they can withdraw from participation in the survey at any point with no repercussions whatsoever.
Chapter Four:
Data Analysis
Results of the Online Survey
The administration of the online survey to prospective visitors to Greenbushes resulted in 116 responses collected in time to be included in the data analysis. The results of the survey are presented in Tables 4 through 10 and depicted graphically for the Likert-scaled questions in Figures 1 through 4 below.
Section Two: Likert-Scaled/Multiple Choice Questions
Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements:
Key:
1
Strongly agree
2
Agree
3
No opinion either way
4
Disagree
5
Strongly disagree
Table 4
Responses to the statement, “South West Australia represents a good tourism destination.”
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative Percent
Valid
1.00
26
22.4
22.4
22.4
2.00
24
20.7
20.7
43.1
3.00
25
21.6
21.6
64.7
4.00
23
19.8
19.8
84.5
5.00
18
15.5
15.5
Total
Figure 1. Responses to the statement, “South West Australia represents a good tourism destination.”
Table 5
Responses to the statement, “I would enjoy learning more about the culture and heritage of small Australian communities.”
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative Percent
Valid
1.00
29
25.0
25.0
25.0
2.00
36
31.0
31.0
56.0
3.00
25
21.6
21.6
77.6
4.00
18
15.5
15.5
93.1
5.00
8
6.9
6.9
Total
Figure 2. Responses to the statement, “I would enjoy learning more about the culture and heritage of small Australian communities.”
Table 6
Responses to the statement, “I would like to visit a jig-saw puzzle museum and attend a jig-saw puzzle assembling contest.”
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative Percent
Valid
1.00
18
15.5
15.5
15.5
2.00
24
20.7
20.7
36.2
3.00
13
11.2
11.2
47.4
4.00
32
27.6
27.6
75.0
5.00
29
25.0
25.0
Total
Figure 3. Responses to the statement, “I would like to visit a jig-saw puzzle museum and attend a jig-saw puzzle assembling contest.”
Table 7
Responses to the statement, “I would like to learn more about the shire of Greenbushes in South West Australia as a tourism destination.”
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative Percent
Valid
1.00
38
32.8
32.8
32.8
2.00
40
34.5
34.5
67.2
3.00
21
18.1
18.1
85.3
4.00
11
9.5
9.5
94.8
5.00
6
5.2
5.2
Total
Figure 4. Responses to the statement, “I would like to learn more about the shire of Greenbushes in South West Australia as a tourism destination.”
Table 8
Responses to the statement, “Please indicate the main reason for your tourism activities”
Category
No. Response
% of Responses
1. Rest and relaxation.
29
25.00
2. Visiting relatives and friends.
19
16.38
3. Business reasons.
4
3.45
4. Attending a conference, congress, seminar, and other forms of educations.
7
6.03
5. Culture.
16
13.79
6. Recreation.
37
31.90
7. Sports and recreation.
2
1.72
8. Health.
2
1.72
9. Religious reasons.
0
0.00
Total
Table 9
Responses to the statement, “Please indicate the main factor that attracts you to a tourism destination”
Category
No. Response
% of Responses
1. Personal safety and security.
5
4.31
2. The destination can be easily reached.
19
16.38
3. Overall cleanliness of the destination.
2
1.72
4. Unspoiled nature.
5
4.31
5. Climate conditions.
3
2.59
6. Diversity of cultural/historical attractions (architecture, tradition and customs)
25
21.55
7. The quality of the local hotel accommodations
5
4.31
8. Friendliness of the local people.
3
2.59
9. Organization of the local transportation services.
0.00
10. Local gastronomy.
4
3.45
11. Possibilities for shopping and souvenirs.
6
5.17
12. Night life and entertainment.
9
7.76
13. Opportunity for rest.
3
2.59
14. Availability of sport facilities and recreational activities.
3
2.59
15. Offer of cultural and other events.
21
18.10
16. Thermal spa offer.
0
0.00
17. Wellness offer.
0
0.00
18. Casino and gambling offer
3
2.59
Total
Table 10
Responses to the statement, “What are the most challenging problems that you face when choosing a destination?”
Category
No. Response
% of Responses
1. Quality of services
36
31.03
2. Reliability
15
12.93
3. Language difficulties
10
8.62
4. Price
55
47.41
Total
Section Three: Open-Ended Question Section
All told, four respondents provided answers to the open-ended question section which are reiterated verbatim in the concluding chapter that follows.
Chapter Five:
Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations
Summary
The results of the administration of the online survey’s demographic section showed that 25 respondents were from Australia, 47 were from the United States, 29 were from the United Kingdom, three were from New Zealand and the remainder were from several different countries in Western Europe. The average age of the respondents was 29.3 years. There were 73 male respondents and 43 female respondents.
The results that emerged from the Likert-scaled statements were highly varied. For instance, in response to the statement, “South West Australia represents a good tourism destination,” 26 respondents (or 22.4%) strongly agreed and 24 (or 20.7%) agreed. Twenty-five respondents (or 21.6% expressed no opinion in response to this statement, but 23 respondents (or 19.8%) disagreed and 18 respondents (or 15.5%) strongly disagreed. More than half of the respondents (65 or 56%) either strongly agreed (29 or 25.0%) or agreed (36 or 31.0%) with the statement, “I would enjoy learning more about the culture and heritage of small Australian communities.” Although 25 respondents (or 21.6%) expressed no opinion about this statement, 18 respondents (or 15.5%) and eight respondents (or 6.9%) disagreed or strongly disagreed, respectively with this statement.
More than a third of the respondents (42 or 35.7%) either strongly agreed (18 or 15.5%) or agreed (24 or 20.7%) with the statement, “I would like to visit a jig-saw puzzle museum and attend a jig-saw puzzle assembling contest.” Thirteen respondents (or 11.2%) expressed no opinion in response to the statement, 32 respondents (or 27.6%) disagreed and 29 respondents (or 25.0%) strongly disagreed.
More than two-thirds of the respondents (78 or 67.3%) either strongly agreed (38 or 32.8%) or agreed (40 or 34.5%) with the statement, “I would like to learn more about the shire of Greenbushes in South West Australia as a tourism destination.” Twenty-one respondents (or 18.1%) expressed no opinion in response to this statement, and 11 respondents (or 9.5%) disagreed and six respondents (or 5.2%) strongly disagreed.
The responses to the multiple-choice statement, “Please indicate the main reason for your tourism activities,” showed that the most popular reason was recreation with 37 (or 31.9%) of the respondents, followed by rest and relaxation by 29 (or 25.0%) of the respondents, visiting relatives and friends by 19 (or 16.4%) of the respondents. The next most popular reasons cited was culture, cited by 16 (or 13.8%) of the respondents, attending a conference, congress, seminar, and other forms of educations cited by seven (or 6.0%) of the respondents, business reasons cited by four (or 3.4%) of the respondents. Two each respondents (or 1.72% each) reported sports and recreation as well as health as their main reason for their tourism activities. None of the respondents cited religion as their main reason.
The multiple-choice responses to the statement, “Please indicate the main factor that attracts you to a tourism destination” showed that diversity of cultural/historical attractions (architecture, tradition and customs was the most popular reason, and was cited by 25 (or 21.5%) of the respondents, followed by the offer of cultural and other events cited by 21 (or 18.1%) of the respondents. Ease in reaching the destination was cited next by 19 (or 16.4%) of the respondents, followed by night life and entertainment which was cited by nine or (7.76%) of the respondents. Shopping opportunities and souvenirs were cited as the main factor that attracts them to a tourism destination by six (or 5.17%) of the respondents, followed by five each (or 4.3%) each for personal safety and security, unspoiled nature and the quality of the local hotel accommodations. Four respondents (or 3.45%) cited local gastronomy as the main reason, followed by three each (or 2.59% each) for climate conditions, friendliness of the people, opportunity for rest, availability of sport facilities and recreational activities, and casino or gambling offers. Two respondents (or 1.72%) cited the overall cleanliness of the destination as their main reason, but none of the respondents cited a wellness offer or thermal spa offer as their main reasons.
Almost half of the respondents (55 or 47.41%) cited price as the main challenges to selecting a tourism destination. Nearly one-third of the respondents (36 or 31.03%) stated that the main challenges to selecting a tourism destination was the quality of services that are offered, while 15 respondents (or 12.93%) cited reliability, followed by language difficulties cited by 10 (or 8.62%) of the respondents.
Finally, the responses to the open-ended question section are reproduced below.
I’ve never heard of Greenbushes before.
Australia sounds like a wonderful place to visit but it’s so far from where we live.
Our family likes to get off the beaten track and find things that other tourists don’t see.
I think almost anyplace can be a fun vacation if you have enough money.
Conclusions
As indicated in the introductory chapter, this study was guided by several research questions which are reiterated and answered in sum below.
1. What are the major attractor factors for rural destinations in Australia such as Bridgetown-Greenbushes? The research indicates that small communities such as Greenbushes that want to increase their travel and tourism arrivals are faced with some significant challenges. In fact, Greenbushes currently lacks many of the traditional tourism destination attractors that make other destinations popular, but it does have a few things going for it that could be capitalized upon for this purpose (which are discussed further below). With few restaurants and local accommodations, Greenbushes is not particularly well situated to handle a flood of visitors, and the existing visitors’ facilities are extremely limited. Therefore, there is a glaring need for investment in these facilities as a first step to a successful cultural-heritage tourism initiative. .
2. What current attractor factors does Bridgetown-Greenbushes have that can be used to promote the community as a cultural-heritage destination? The Bridgetown-Greenbushes community has some cultural-heritage attractor factors available that could be used as a springboard for increasing their tourist arrivals. These attractors were shown to include the Geegelup Heritage Trail, a post office dating to 1891 the 1907 Roads Board Office, the Greenbushes Historical Park and a series of interpretive signs concerning the town’s mining history.
3. What types of grants are available from Lotterywest to promote cultural-heritage tourism to Bridgetown-Greenbushes? The research showed that Lotterywest awards $100 million in grants each year to help improve Australian communities in a wide range of ways, including cultural-heritage initiatives.
4. How can the community leaders in Bridgetown-Greenbushes use the available resources to improve cultural-heritage tourism arrivals in the future? This research question is answered by the recommendations that follow below.
Recommendations
1. Convert the Whittakers Timber Products mill into a cultural-heritage museum that would include refurbished machinery so that visitors could enjoy demonstrations concerning how wood was processed in the past. Interpretive signage and visitor guides could enhance this experience further.
2. Enhance the existing Bridgetown-Greenbushes’ Web site with additional information about the community, including more pictures (there are currently only two).
3. Sponsor a semi-annual jig-saw puzzle assembling contest and offer a substantial monetary prize as an incentive. This contest should be highly publicised in Perth.
4. Develop a self-guided walking tour of the local attractions in Greenbushes complete with a brochure that provides relevant information about the community, its people and colourful history.
References
About the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes, (2014). Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes. [online]
available: http://www.bridgetown.wa.gov.au/.
Confer, JC & Kerstettler, DL (2000, February), ‘Past Perfect: Explorations of Heritage Tourism,’
Parks & Recreation, vol. 35, no. 2, p. 28.
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Appendix A
Proforma Copy of Online Survey Instrument
Section One: Demographic Data
Country of residence
Age (years)
Gender
1. Male.
2. Female
Section Two: Likert-Scaled/Multiple Choice Questions
Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements:
Key:
1
Strongly agree
2
Agree
3
No opinion either way
4
Disagree
5
Strongly disagree
South West Australia represents a good tourism destination.
Strongly agree
Agree
No opinion either way
Disagree
Strongly disagree
I would enjoy learning more about the culture and heritage of small Australian communities.
Strongly agree
Agree
No opinion either way
Disagree
Strongly disagree
I would like to visit a jig-saw puzzle museum and attend a jig-saw puzzle assembling contest.
Strongly agree
Agree
No opinion either way
Disagree
Strongly disagree
I would like to learn more about the shire of Greenbushes in South West Australia as a tourism destination.
Strongly agree
Agree
No opinion either way
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Please indicate the main reason for your tourism activities:
1. Rest and relaxation.
2. Visiting relatives and friends.
3. Business reasons.
4. Attending a conference, congress, seminar, and other forms of educations.
5. Culture.
6. Fun.
7. Sports and recreation.
8. Health.
9. Religious reasons.
10. Other, what:
Please indicate the main factor that attracts you to a tourism destination:
1. Personal safety and security.
2. The destination can be easily reached.
3. Overall cleanliness of the destination.
4. Unspoiled nature.
5. Climate conditions.
6. Diversity of cultural/historical attractions (architecture, tradition and customs)
7. The quality of the local hotel accommodations
8. Friendliness of the local people.
9. Organization of the local transportation services.
10. Local gastronomy.
11. Possibilities for shopping and souvenirs.
12. Night life and entertainment.
13. Opportunity for rest.
14. Availability of sport facilities and recreational activities.
15. Offer of cultural and other events.
16. Thermal spa offer.
17. Wellness offer.
18. Casino and gambling offer
What are the most challenging problems that you face when choosing a destination?
1. Quality of services
2. Reliability
3. Language difficulties
4. Price
Section Three: Open-Ended Question Section
In the space below, please provide any other views and opinions you have about selecting a tourism destination.
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