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A study which tested the effectiveness of an education programme for managing tourists was conducted at Tangalooma, Australia. At this holiday resort tourists are able to hand-feed a group of wild dolphins which visit the shallow waters adjacent to the resort's beach. The education programme, which uses techniques derived from cognitive psychology and learning theory, attempted to prompt increased enjoyment, knowledge and improved environmental attitudes, intentions and behaviour in participants. The study, which compared a control group who were not exposed to the education with an experiment group who were, found that desirable changes did occur as a result of the programme. This research provides much needed evidence that education can be an effective means of managing tourists' interaction with wildlife and the natural environment © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An industry based upon taking tourists to watch, swim and otherwise interact with dolphins and whales in the wild has expanded rapidly over the past decade. It is now a large and geographically dispersed activity which occurs in over 65 countries worldwide. One aspect of this industry involves interacting with dolphins and this has become particularly popular in Australia and New Zealand. There are many historical accounts of human-wild dolphin interaction and a detailed review of these records shows that the ‘new’ dolphin based tourism industry has developed from a long history of human-dolphin relationships. This comprehensive literature review also reveals that there are considerable risks, both for the dolphins and for the tourists as a result of these encounters. Risks include harassment, stress, injury and death for dolphins and also injury for humans. It is important that dolphin tourism operators, management agencies and tourists themselves are aware of these risks and manage their activities accordingly.

Tourist use of the natural environment has continued to increase rapidly. This has resulted in many authors expressing concern over the impact of this increasing use. This paper briefly reviews these concerns and outlines the general types of management responses to increasing tourist pressure on the natural environment. One type of management response lies in educating tourists and this paper argues that this can be an effective means of reducing negative impacts. A number of important educational techniques which can be used in an interpretation programme for 'ecotourists' is outlined and their use and assessment is advocated.

There are a wide variety of opportunities for people to interact with wildlife and the demand for these opportunities is growing rapidly. This range of opportunities can be viewed as a Spectrum of Tourist-Wildlife Interaction Opportunities (SoTWIO). Within this spectrum are both situations where tourists view captive wildlife in facilities such as zoos and circuses and ones where tourists interact with wildlife in the wild, for example, in national parks or the marine environment. There are a wide range of management regimes and structures which are used to control the interaction between tourists and wildlife, and these regimes can be categorised as physical, regulatory, economic and educational. Currently, the management of interaction is dominated by physical and regulatory strategies, but considerable potential exists to increase the role of education-based management strategies. The development of a conceptual model which clarifies the range of wildlife interaction opportunities and the management regimes used, and which specifies the outcomes desired, establishes a basis upon which the effectiveness of education can be tested.

A program where wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are fed by tourists in shallow water adjacent to a wharf has been established at Tangalooma, Queensland, Australia. Up to nine dolphins attend the nightly feedings, and between 60 and 80 resort guests are permitted to hand feed these dolphins each night. Since this program began in 1992, the dolphins have increased in confidence and have started, at times, to make forceful contact with guests who enter the water to feed them. This paper categorizes such behavior as “pushy” and reports on a study which quantifies the “pushiness” of the dolphins which feed at Tangalooma. The study examines ecological variables which may determine how pushy the dolphins are at different feeding sessions. The number of dolphins attending a particular feeding significantly increases the pushiness. In addition, the presence of adult males at a feeding is likely to increase pushing. Tidal state also influences how pushy the dolphins are. At low tide, when the dolphins’mobility is restricted by the water depth, they are less likely to be pushy. Given the problems experienced in a number of other situations where wild animals are fed by humans, it is important to monitor carefully the escalation of pushy behavior in this dolphin feeding program, as it may be a precursor to more aggressive actions on the part of the dolphins.

This paper reviews a variety of the definitions which have been given to the term 'ecotourism', and presents them as a continuum where, at one pole, all tourism can be viewed as ecotourism and, at the other, no tourism can be viewed as ecotourism. Examples of ecotourism definitions are then classified according to their position along this continuum. As a result of this classification it is suggested that it is desirable to implement management strategies which attempt to shift the 'ecotourist experience' from simple enjoyment and satisfaction through stages of greater understanding, attitude change and finally more environmentally responsible behaviour. A model which displays this shift is offered and a series of indicators which can be used to measure the transition are suggested.

Tourist interest in experiencing marine wildlife in their natural environment is growing. In particular, opportunities for interaction with marine mammals such as dolphins are becoming increasingly popular. Such interaction between humans and solitary dolphins has occurred throughout history; however, the dolphins at Monkey Mia in Western Australia are the only recorded group of dolphins which regularly interact with tourists. A previously unreported case of tourist-dolphin interaction is being developed at Tangalooma in Queensland, Australia. The development of this program is outlined in this paper and the current management of this interaction is considered.

Ecotourism associated with wildlife is becoming increasingly popular. The effects on wildlife of this increasing popularity are causing concern. Environmental interpretation programs may be a means of minimising negative effects if they are able to change tourists' behaviour. A review of cognitive psychology literature and theories of learning shows that simply increasing information and understanding does not necessarily result in more appropriate human behaviour. However, there are several techniques, such as the creation and resolution of cognitive dissonance and the use of the affective domain, which may create more effective interpretation. This paper reviews relevant theories of learning and offers guidelines for the creation of effective interpretation programs in the context of tourist - wildlife interaction.

Since mediaeval times the joker, jester, fool, or clown has been a privileged individual able to comment upon social structure, and parody rules, and authority while remaining immune from repercussions. Similar functions are fulfilled by their modern counterparts, and a study of workplace humor functions revealed the existence of jokers who created and instigated many of the humor ‘events’ in the studied companies. The joker expresses alternative possibilities and can question authority without subverting it. Although not officially appointed to the role, the modern organizational joker negotiates within his workgroup in order to assume this social position. The role evolves through the joker's involvement and participation in a community of practice using shared history and practices. The jokers were considered to be important organizational members by both their peers and managers, and their joking skills were highly valued.Although instances of humor are often multifunctional, the jokers use humor to fulfill some key functions in their workplaces. Four key functions of the jokers were identified and discussed and form the focus of this paper: challenging management; pushing the boundaries; developing the culture; and providing relief. The functions are explored using the community of practice framework (Wenger 1998) and also drawing on both organizational and humor literature.

In 1990 the inaugural congress on coastal and marine tourism was held in Honolulu, Hawaii. This conference was the first held which focused specifically on this rapidly growing sector of the tourism industry. As such, the 1990 congress concentrated on ‘setting the scene’ and outlining the opportunities and challenges facing tourism in the coastal zone and seaward. The Second World Congress on Coastal and Marine Tourism (CMT96) was held from 19 to 22 June 1996 in the same location and was sub-titled ‘experiences in management and development’. The second conference intended to build from the first and to allow scientists, government agency representatives and private sector practitioners to share experiences and, it was hoped, solutions to some of the issues and problems that had been outlined at the 1990 meeting.

We are fortunate to be alive at an unique time in history. The beginning of the third millennium is a natural point at which we should pause, look back and consider many things. The increasing influence that humans and our activities have had on the health and functioning of our planet is one of those things. When considering this, one of the issues of significance is the important role that oceans, coasts and harbours have played in the history of human societies. We should also consider the influence that humans and their activities have had on those marine environs. While the marine environment has certainly been central to human activities throughout history, it is only in the latter part of the twentieth century that its use has become all encompassing. Only 50 years ago many parts of the marine world were unexplored and inaccessible to almost all, now however, there are few locations and few species on our marine planet that have escaped the effects of humans. Probably the most recent and most dramatically increasing use of our seas is our use of them for recreation. In particular the rapid rise of the tourism industry has had a marked impact on the marine world, there are now few locations that humans do not visit for recreational purposes. The marine world has become a playground with few boundaries.

In November 2010, the 9th New Zealand Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference (NZTHRC) was convened in Auckland, New Zealand. NZTHRC was first held at Massey University, Palmerston North in 1994. Since its inception, the University of Otago (1996 and 2006) and Lincoln University (1998 and 2008) have each hosted the conference twice, and Victoria University of Wellington (2004) and Waiariki Polytechnic Institute (2002) have hosted once each. AUT University first hosted the NZTHRC in 2000 and for the second time in 2010. The NZTHRC 2010 conference was a joint effort and the result of a close partnership between the School of Hospitality and Tourism and the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute at AUT University. The NZTHRC has been and will continue to be dependent on the willingness of institutions and, in particular, individuals within those institutions, to organize, promote, and host this important event. The conference is not “owned” by any specific organization, but rather continues by an informal arrangement and commitment to rotate around the various tertiary education institutions that have significant tourism and hospitality higher education and research activities. For the 2010 conference, the local organizing committee made an early decision around the guiding philosophy that would influence the direction of the research presented. It was felt that one of the most important contributions the conference

The terms "sustainability" and "ecotourism" have become much used in recent years, yet there have been few examinations of how they might apply in practical cases. Kaikoura, a small coastal town (population 3600) on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island, has a rapidly developing tourism industry. This industry has helped to transform the town from an economically depressed area with few opportunities for local employment into one of New Zealand's "boom towns". However, this growth has not been without costs and controversies. The development of a successful ecotourism business by local indigenous Maori has caused some resentment amongst residents, and there is evidence that the marine mammals targeted by the tourism industry are experiencing increasing pressure. As a consequence, researchers and local people recognise that sustainability is an important issue for the future of the area. This case study provides important insights into the challenges associated with the rapid growth of an ecotourism destination.