Visitor attitudes toward tourism development and product integration in an Australian urban-rural fringe

Abstract

A cluster analysis involving 1,244 visitors to six popular recreational sites in the hinterland of Australia's Gold Coast revealed diverse attitudes toward tourism development and product integration in this urban-rural fringe, although biocentric tendencies and a desire to maintain the hinterland in its present condition were dominant in all clusters. Hinterland protectives (n = 206) are not supportive of integrating the hinterland with the Gold Coast tourism product, while hinterland sharers (n = 406) strongly support integration and increased visitation. Hinterland neutrals (n = 231) do not have strong opinions about this issue, and integration ambivalents (n = 345) are caught between the desire to preserve and integrate the hinterland. Significant differences between the clusters were identified by site, motivation, group size, repeat visitation, duration of visit, age, residence, and education. These results indicate distinct dynamics in the urban-rural fringe and will potentially assist the sustainable tourism and recreation development of such areas.