KEY ELEMENTS CONTRIBUTING TO EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE VISITOR CENTRES: AN EVALUATION OF THE STRAHAN VISITOR CENTRE, TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA By Liza Fallon and Lorne K. Kriwoken RESEARCH REPORT RESEARCH REPORT SERIES The primary aim of CRC Tourism’s research report series is technology transfer. The reports are targeted toward both industry and government users and tourism researchers. The content of this technical report series primarily focuses on applications, but may also advance research methodology and tourism theory. The report series titles relate to CRC Tourism’s research program areas. All research reports are peer reviewed by at least two external reviewers. For further information on the report series, access the CRC website [www.crctourism.com.au]. EDITORS Prof Chris Cooper University of Queensland Editor-in-Chief Prof Terry De Lacy CRC for Sustainable Tourism Chief Executive Prof Leo Jago CRC for Sustainable Tourism Director of Research National Library of Australia Cataloguing in Publication Data Fallon, Liza. Key elements contributing to effective and sustainable visitor centres : an evaluation of the Strahan Visitor Centre, Tasmania, Australia. Bibliography. ISBN 1 876685 88 3. 1. Visitors’ centers - Tasmania - Evaluation. 2. Tourist information centers - Tasmania - Evaluation. 3. Visitors’ centers - Tasmania - Management. 4. Tourist information centers - Tasmania - Management. 5. Tourism - Tasmania Management. I. Kriwoken, Lorne K. (Lorne Keith). II. Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism. 338.4791946 © 2002 Copyright CRC for Sustainable Tourism Pty Ltd All rights reserved. No parts of this report may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by means of electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. Any enquiries should be directed to Brad Cox, Director of Communications or Trish O’Connor, Publications Manager to [email protected]. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The development of this project has relied on the inspiration, input, support and assistance from many institutions and people. Firstly, we would like to thank the Australian Cooperative Research Centres program through the CRC for Sustainable Tourism for their support in terms of offering a tourism honours scholarship. We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the numerous people who assisted and supported this project. In particular, we thank Dr Elaine Stratford from the University of Tasmania for her generous assistance, Sue Rundle from the Parks and Wildlife Service for her help with methodology, and Robert Morris-Nunn for his unquestioning support and provision of literature and architectural drawings. In addition, thanks to Dr Jim Russell, Dr Simon Wotherspoon and Mark Bennett from the University of Tasmania; Sue Haimes, Andrew Roberts and Bob Tyson from the Parks and Wildlife Service; Stewart Lennox, Jane Foley and Inga Brkic from Tourism Tasmania; and Enterprise Marketing staff. Most importantly, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to the key informants. Their input, ideas, opinions and enthusiasm were essential to the success of this project. We hope the research has reflected their opinions accurately and that collectively, their ideas will help to develop visitor centre excellence. The list is too long to reproduce here but your names appear in the personal communications list. In addition, we thank all those who participated in the Strahan Visitor Centre visitor survey and although these people remain unnamed – your time and comments were invaluable. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Visitor centres provide information and services and they orientate, entertain and educate tourists. Tourism is important to Tasmania’s economic and social well-being and as a result, the State has positioned itself as a nature-based tourist destination. This direction has necessitated the building of additional visitor centres that contribute to the needs of tourists, the tourism industry, governments and the community. Consequently, many new Tasmanian visitor centres are being constructed. Given the resources required to build and maintain these centres, it is important to evaluate Tasmania’s existing facilities to determine their overall effectiveness. This report presents a case study evaluation of visitors to the Strahan Visitor Centre, Tasmania, Australia. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the Strahan Visitor Centre. To help answer this question, one of the primary objectives of the study was to determine who uses the centre, how visitors use the centre, what visitors think of the centre and what impacts the centre has on users. The fieldwork was conducted over a one-week period in January 2001 and it comprised two main components: visitor observations and a face-to-face structured visitor questionnaire survey. The second phase of the fieldwork involved the collection of qualitative data in the form of semi-structured key informant interviews. These interviews highlighted any broader issues contributing to the success or failure of the Strahan Visitor Centre, and they are used as a foundation on which to overlay the case study results and a discussion of this study’s second primary objective regarding key visitor centre planning and design issues. Elements that Contribute to Effective and Sustainable Visitor Centres Success criteria contributing to effective visitor centres are complex and there is no prescriptive formula by which to plan or construct them. Although they need to be planned for on a case by case basis, these facilities also need to be part of a comprehensive, collaborative, cross-agency strategy to ensure they are built within a regional vision, brand and position. Before building a centre, it is essential for i planners to establish a clear need for the facility and ascertain if State government agencies, tourism operators and local communities are committed to being actively involved in the centre’s on-going operations. As a result, it is important that government agencies, planners and designers value community, social and cultural capital and include all stakeholders in the planning and design process. In addition, location and the physical environment are important factors, and facilities should be designed for distinctiveness and built where the visitors and attractions are found. If visitor centres are to be sustainable, it is also important that planners and designers understand the audiences using or providing referral to a facility; provide multiple functions and innovative activities; and recognise economic realities. This overall framework helps to ensure that visitor centres meet the needs of governments, visitors, the tourism industry, local communities and cultural groups. This study found a number of valid conclusions appropriate to the single case. It also identified a number of key elements that may contribute to effective and sustainable visitor centres generally. The sections in this report detailing these key elements and visitor centre evaluation techniques of most interest to industry include Section 2: Methodology, Section 3: Designing Effective Visitor Centres, Sub- Section 4.2.6: Importance of Visitor Centres to the Holiday Experience, Section 5: Case Study Evaluation and Section 6: Conclusions. This study found that effective and sustainable visitor centres generally include the following elements: • Identifying the need and function of, any new centre before they are constructed. • Understand the audience(s) to ensure that visitor centres meet visitor, management and community needs. • Clearly identify resources and whether the visitor centre is to be self-, partly-, or fully funded? • Foster effective partnerships to provide support and referral. • Consider ongoing operational and maintenance costs and those who will provide the resources. ii • Value social, community and cultural capital because communities provide ongoing support. • Provide personal experiences because visitors seek experiences that are real, intimate and friendly. • Develop multiple functions to provide a diverse revenue base. • Promote and market the facility to ensure that visitors are aware of the visitor centre. • Choose the location carefully and build the visitor centres where the attraction and visitors are found. • Visible and accessible entrances are essential because they provide a sense of welcome and orientate visitors to a site or activity. • Provide distinct and innovative designs to inspire the visitors. • Create distinct and authentic experiences that are of the place or relate to the place. • Present important messages at the beginning of the experience to ensure that visitors absorb new information while they are inspired and receptive. • Interstitial experiences are important because they draw visitors from the environment into the facility and from the facility back into the environment. • Be innovative because visitors seek new, distinct and interesting experiences. • Design a facility that evolves over time to keep the visitor centre current, fresh and innovative. Elements that Contribute to Interpretive Excellence Visitor centres often provide interpretation and this study identified that telling a good story is an essential interpretive success factor. iii Interpretation also needs to be provided in different ways and offer alternative experiences to ensure it appeals to as wide an audience as possible. In addition, interpretation and other interactive experiences can foster social capital