Ecotourism VS Kingfisher Bay Resort

何倩靈

[abstract]Ecotourism has been the wave of tourism in the recent years. It reflects the increasing concern of sustainability and environment. This report has a critical analysis about the key features of Kingfisher Bay Resort as an ecotourism leader， its management practices and quality control measures， describes two other stakeholders who may be interested in ecotourism area and provides some recommendations and implementations.

[ keyword]Ecotourism；Kingfisher Bay Resort

1.0Introduction

Kingfisher Bay Resort， which is certified as advanced ecotourism by Ecotourism Australia has won six Australian Tourism Awards. It locates on Fraser Island which is a destination rich in natural attractions， including the famous 75-mile beach， Hervey Bay whale watching， ancient rainforests and crystal-clear lakes

2.0Management Practices and Quality Control Measures

The resorts ecotheme is reinforced in various ways. Architecture which is constructed following the strictest environmental guidelines is an important approach. All the buildings are below the tree line， limited to two levels and around major trees to increase the feeling of environmental harmony. Designers use the Queensland wooden style and take advantage of open and wave-shape verandas. It not only integrates with the surroundings but also saves energy consumption. In summer， cooling of the buildings rely on thermosiphon effect created by drawing fresh air in through windows and doors and drawing stale air off at the higher ceiling level through louvers. Guests can adjust the cooling level in the accommodation units， each of which is independently air-conditioned. When units are empty， air conditioners are automatically de-activated. In winter， windows and vents are closed to create a glasshouse effect， trapping warm air inside the building. This unique design saves approximately 500，000 KW/h per year and decreases the reliance of air-conditioning. Furthermore， all solid waste is separated， compacted， and moved to mainland for disposal or recycling in order to keep the island clean.

In order to maintain the high quality of services and effectively environmental protection， all the resort activities are monitored by sponsoring research of Fraser Island. This research runs regularly and examines flora and fauna species， wetlands， impacts of tourism， environmental interpretation and sustainable tourism at the resort. Some researches also have been done before construction activities imply. To a large extent， these researches ensure the resort to do right decisions and keep the resort on the way to ecotourism. The resort also formed a collaborative partnership with the University of the Sunshine Coast （USC） to establish a Fraser Island Research and Education Center. The resort has dedicated buildings to the research center， including a lecture hall， laboratory， freezer rooms， office and library. Researchers are also supported with free accommodation and meals whilst working at the center and Resort Rangers assist with field projects. This has been recognized as an outstanding example of collaborative research by the Organisation for Economic CO-operation and Development （OECD）. The research has recently finished projects like Ecological Footprint Analysis of Kingfisher Bay Resort and Village， Groundwater Discharge from Fraser Island into The Great Sandy Strait， and so on.

3.0Two Relevant Stakeholders

There are many stakeholders who concentrate on the similar aspect with Kingfisher Bay Resort. The first one that is worthy to mention is Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism. It is a membership-based organisation responsible for marketing and promoting the region to target markets on behalf of the local tourism industry， businesses， communities and local government within the region. It provides many benefits to its members， such as： marketing and promoting activities， website listing， tourism awards eligibility， research and statistics and media activities. Members can expand their selling channels， increase awareness and reputation， and get directions through it. Thanks to the Destination Management Plan for Tourism in the Fraser Coast given by Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism and Tourism Queensland， tourism in Fraser region can be managed and promoted more efficiently and properly. As a member of Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism， Kingfisher Bay Resort is listed on its website， and linked directly to the resorts official site. Both the resort and the organization are interested in increasing competitiveness and popularity of Fraser Island and can cooperate very well. However， some conflicts can also occur. As the organisation can be treated as a distribution channel of the resort， where the resort is listed can make a difference. Normally， the first few hotels on the list are most frequently viewed and clicked by visitors. Kingfisher is listed in the middle position which is seemed to be ‘hidden. The hotel may be unhappy about this ‘unfair treatment.

Another important stakeholder is the Environment Protection Authority （EPA） which operates under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. The EPA is a statutory authority and is the primary provider of independent environmental advice to government. It aims at protecting the environment and preventing， controlling and abating pollution. Sometimes， the Minister for the Environment may delegate his power to the EPA to approve items such as Environmental Management Plans on a case-by-case basis. Although its recommendations are advice only， it is closely related to Kingfisher. The EPA updates Fraser Island Conditions Report fortnightly. The reports are vital directions for all tourists and hotels and tourism companies. They regulate travellers activities， avoid tragedies and scandals， at the same time， slowing down peoples pace of visiting Fraser Island. Both benefits and harms can be brought to Kingfisher by these reports. Travellers safety maintains the destinations reputation and popularity. On the other hand， the slowing down effect is obviously not preferred by the resort. If the EPA and the resort hold different views of necessity of a particularly warning， they go to opposite sides. In contrast， if they get commitment of an issue， they can cooperate very well.

4.0Recommendations

Ecotourism is fast becoming a modern marketing tool for tourism-related companies and expanding significantly. It offers pretty much what people want when they wish to escape from pressured and polluted urban living， and it offers a sort of moral expiation of guilt for our contribution to the degradation of the planet. Hence， Kingfisher can organise some activities to get people involved in environmental protection actively to comply with their expects of compensation. For example， some of them can be assistance of researchers. Some people can be organised as a DIY team to do interior decoration and tree planting.

Furthermore， there are millions of tourists from all over the world visiting Fraser Island. The effect on the local community， especially for the aboriginal group is a two-edged sword. Tourism brings them information and income， but also weakens their cultural identity， namely direct tourism impact on cultural environment. Kingfisher should pay more attention to the conservation of aboriginal culture， their architecture， language， and life pattern.

5.0Conclusion

To sum up， ecotourism is not just a definition， but also an action in order to satisfy needs of the whole society at present and the future generations development at the same time. High technologies like Water and energy conservation systems and advanced architecture design contribute to environmental protection technically. Moreover， it is necessary to develop peoples attitude of being environmental friendly since everyone interacts with the environment. Travel agencies and hotels should be the major driving force of ecotourism. Kingfisher Bay Resort practices the concept of ecotourism very well and keeps digging out new ways to minimise the impacts of tourism to the natural environment. Owing to it， the resort enhances a good reputation， saves energy consumption and enjoys fantastic economic benefits.

References：

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[3]University of Sunshine Coast： Fraser Island Research and Learning Center. （2009）. Retrieved October 17， 2009， from http：//www.usc.edu.au/University/AbouttheUniversity/Campus/Fraser/Dilli/Centre.htm

[4]Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism： About the Board. （2009）. Retrieved October 18， 2009， from http：//www.southburnettholidays.info/rtn2/index.cfm？821AB32A-DD5F-19FD-42AE-6E4BDF5F4C98

[5]Environmental Protection Authority： Role and Functions of the EPA. （2009）. Retrieved October 18， 2009， from http：//www.epa.wa.gov.au/docs/1063_RoleFunctions.pdf

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