ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE INQUIRY INTO HERITAGE TOURISM AND ECOTOURISM IN VICTORIA SEPTEMBER 2014 Ordered to be printed Victorian Government Printer 2014 Parliamentary Paper No. 353 (Document 1 of 2) Session 2010–2014 INQUIRY INTO HERITAGE TOURISM AND ECOTOURISM IN VICTORIA Parliament of Victoria Environment and Natural Resources Committee Inquiry into heritage tourism and ecotourism in Victoria ISBN 978-0-9807561-5-9 This report is printed on Revive Laser 90 gsm – 100 per cent recycled paper Table of contents List of figures ......................................................................................................................... iv List of tables .......................................................................................................................... iv Committee members .............................................................................................................. v Staff ........................................................................................................................................ v Terms of reference ............................................................................................................... vii Chair’s foreword .................................................................................................................... ix Executive summary ............................................................................................................... xi Recommendations ............................................................................................................... xv Acronyms and abbreviations ............................................................................................. xxiii INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 The inquiry into heritage tourism and ecotourism in Victoria ................................. 1 CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................ 3 Victoria’s heritage tourism and ecotourism industry .............................................. 3 1.1 Defining ecotourism ................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Defining heritage tourism .......................................................................................... 7 1.3 Indigenous heritage in Victoria’s tourism industry .................................................... 9 1.4 Victoria’s natural and cultural heritage attractions ................................................. 10 1.5 ‘Iconic’ sites and heritage listing .............................................................................. 12 1.6 Recent developments in tourism policy ................................................................... 13 1.6.1 Victoria’s 2020 tourism strategy ............................................................................ 13 1.6.2 Victoria’s regional tourism strategy 2013-2016 .................................................... 15 1.6.3 Victoria’s China tourism strategy ........................................................................... 17 1.6.4 Victoria’s Aboriginal tourism strategy 2013-2023 ................................................ 17 1.6.5 Victoria’s Trails Strategy 2014-24 .......................................................................... 18 1.7 National parks policy and legislation ....................................................................... 19 1.8 Heritage tourism policy ............................................................................................ 21 1.9 National tourism policy ............................................................................................ 22 1.10 The contribution of tourism to the national and Victorian economies ................... 23 1.11 Recent tourism data on Victoria – International visitation ...................................... 26 – i – INQUIRY INTO HERITAGE TOURISM AND ECOTOURISM IN VICTORIA 1.12 Recent tourism data on Victoria – Domestic visitors................................................ 30 CHAPTER TWO .......................................................................................... 35 Developing the potential within the ecotourism and heritage tourism industry .... 35 2.1 Governance structures and the Victorian tourism industry ..................................... 35 2.1.1 The role of Regional Tourism Boards ..................................................................... 35 2.2 Marketing Victoria’s assets ....................................................................................... 38 2.2.1 Tourism Victoria’s promotional campaigns ........................................................... 38 2.2.2 The role of social media ......................................................................................... 41 2.3 Encouraging regional dispersal ................................................................................. 44 2.4 Meeting the expectations of international visitors .................................................. 46 CHAPTER THREE ........................................................................................ 53 Infrastructure for ecotourism and heritage tourism and workforce skills and development ....................................................................................................... 53 3.1 Tourism infrastructure policy context ...................................................................... 53 3.2 Infrastructure for ecotourism and heritage tourism ................................................ 54 3.2.1 Accommodation ..................................................................................................... 61 3.2.2 Signage ................................................................................................................... 66 3.2.3 Technological Infrastructure .................................................................................. 69 3.3 Workforce skills and development ........................................................................... 72 CHAPTER FOUR ......................................................................................... 77 Best practice in ecotourism .................................................................................. 77 4.1 Victoria’s licensing scheme ....................................................................................... 77 4.1.1. Views of stakeholders ............................................................................................. 79 4.2 Ecotourism accreditation schemes ........................................................................... 81 4.2.1 Views of stakeholders ............................................................................................. 83 4.2.2. International eco-accreditation schemes ............................................................... 88 4.3 Ecotourism and commercial developments in national parks ................................. 93 4.3.1 Views of stakeholders ............................................................................................. 95 4.3.2 Models of best practice in other jurisdictions ........................................................ 99 4.4 Funding sustainable ecotourism development ...................................................... 109 4.4.1. Attracting investors to the ecotourism sector ...................................................... 109 – ii -- TABLE OF CONTENTS 4.4.2. Revised fees for accommodation in Victorian parks ............................................ 111 4.4.3. Funding iconic walking tracks .............................................................................. 112 4.5 Ecotourism policy ................................................................................................... 114 CHAPTER FIVE .......................................................................................... 121 Best practice in heritage tourism ......................................................................... 121 5.1 Heritage tourism within the cultural tourism sector ............................................. 122 5.2 Interpreting heritage sites...................................................................................... 125 5.2.1 Digital technologies ............................................................................................. 127 5.3 Heritage workforce skills and tour guides.............................................................. 133 5.4 Heritage buildings and tourism opportunities ....................................................... 135 5.4.1 The planning system and heritage overlays ......................................................... 136 5.4.2 Adaptive re-use of heritage buildings .................................................................. 137 5.4.3 Funding heritage preservation and tourism projects ........................................... 139 CHAPTER SIX ........................................................................................... 143 Supporting Aboriginal tourism ............................................................................ 143 6.1 Victoria’s Aboriginal tourism policy ....................................................................... 143 6.1.1 Aboriginal tourism in other Australian jurisdictions ............................................ 144 6.2 Aboriginal heritage in Victoria’s national parks ....................................................