Public and Private Partnerships between Tourism and Protected Areas: The Australian Situation

Abstract

Most nature-based tourism involves private companies in public protected areas. Most of these operate under a simple concession permit, but more complex partnerships are being introduced. Visitor infrastructure, and some tours, are also provided directly by public agencies on public land. Tourism products, generally private, can also operate very successfully as commercial ventures in private protected areas. This form of partnership has a long history in Europe, and is used widely in Subsaharan Africa and South and Central America, and increasingly in North America. It has been little used to date in Australia or Asia, although there are one or two outstanding examples. Crowding is increasing in public protected areas in these countries, however, and commercial tours are coming into increasing competition with private recreational users, non-profit groups and public tours. Private tour operators will therefore need to establish additional protected areas, in partnership either with private landholders, or public land management agencies such as state forests.