Hospitality and Tourism Article: Great Barrier Reef Experience

This article, written for a lifestyle segment, focuses on the tourism and hospitality sectors within the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsundays. It provides an overview of the region's natural beauty, emphasizing its importance as a world heritage site and a major tourist destination. The article highlights the role of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) in managing and protecting the reef, while also acknowledging the challenges posed by climate change and other environmental factors. It discusses the government's efforts towards sustainable tourism and the initiatives taken to preserve the reef's natural charm. The piece also touches upon the balance between tourism and environmental conservation, presenting the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef as ideal destinations for holidays and festivities, while acknowledging the need for sustainable practices to maintain their allure for future generations. The article is well-researched and includes a list of relevant references.

Running head: HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
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Operating in Great Barrier Reef: an enigmatic experience
Introductory Summary: An elixir of enigma and awe, Great Barrier Reef and the
Whitsundays are the paradise of the travelers who want to be lost in the nature. The article is a
travel piece under lifestyle segment which focuses on the travel and tourism segment of
hospitality sector.
Nature has donated its bounty to Australia and the biggest example of such bounty is the
Great Barrier Reefs, which is the uniqueness of the country (Australia 2013). Australia, being a
wonder nation, provides a roller coaster ride to her tourists and the awe finally ends at the Great
Barrier Reefs (Emslie et al. 2015). The Australians are fortunate enough to be receiving
international acclaims for the country’s natural beauty. Being the first reef to be recognized as
the world heritage site by UNESCO, The Great Barrier Reef is a picturesque scoop of nature.
Even though reefs have been highly sensitive to climatic diversities, Australian reef is
tremendously innovative in areas like size, diversity and enigmatic plant and fauna it exhibits
(Wolanski 2018). The Whitsundays, an archipelago of 74 tropical islands, is proudly situated at
Queensland coast, near the Great Barrier Reef.
Almost more than two million tourists visit the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays
every year and the spot has become the Mecca of the environmental enthusiasts and nature freaks
(Economics, D.A. 2013). Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays have always proved and will
remain to prove as one of the most celebrated tourist destinations in Australia. Who does not like
to stare, gaze and wonder about the enchantment named nature? Setting aside the ravishing
beauty of the coral reef, a holistic tourist should also understand its environmental values as well.
Wonderlands of movement and hues are also a savior of marine ecosystems, which is again a

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wonder to be gazed at and experienced! The reef is also heaven for the animal lovers. With more
than 2900 separate reefs of coral, a heavenly abode to almost more than a thousand species of
fish, reptiles and flora, it is considered to be the world largest heritage site. As a tourist spot, the
coral reef along the Whitsundays serves as a Shangri-la, a pickle of ravishing flora and fauna,
with a tinge of unique charm.
There is a government organization that works relentlessly for protection and
management of the Coral Reefs, which is known as Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
(GBRMPA). The organization works diligently and relentlessly as a savior of the rarest of the
rare marine ecosystem of Australia. It works in partnership with many industries, including the
tourism and hospitality sectors, commercial fishers and government agencies; to make sure the
area is well managed and used sustainably (Thompson et al. 2014). The organization has been
known to be providing accommodation and refreshment ideas, consultancies and guidance to the
novice and the ametur tourists.
Certain important facts every tourists need to know:
1. The GBRMPA had published an Outlook Report in 2014 where it had enumerated facts
such as climate change, poor quality of water from land based run off, coastal
development impacts, other impacts from fishing to be reasons for depletion of the reef
(Authority, G.B.R.M.P., 2014).
2. The Australian and Queensland government’s “Reef 2050 long term sustainability plan”
is an initiative for protection of the reef (Authority, G.B.R.M.P., 2014).
Even though tourism departments have successfully managed to exploit the reef for their
benefit, the latest Australian tourism departments are afresh with different ideas of sustainability

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and are taking initiatives to revive the long lost glory of the reef once again (Hughes, Day and
Brodie 2015). Even though there have been escalating tensions between scientists and tourism
industry, Australia still did not lose hope. She had plans to have the cake and eat it too. Even
though the tourist population density has diminished in the Whitsundays islands due to climate
change and coral bleaching phenomenon, the government still relentlessly works to safeguard the
enigma which is Great Barrier Reef near the beaches of the Whitsundays (Authority,
G.B.R.M.P., 2016).
As a tourist spot, the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef are happy hunting grounds
of the bag-packers with charming scenery of beautiful sea turtles, lonely, desolate beaches and
the colorful Elysium of marine wonders. Even though there have been sustainability issues due
to corporate interventions at the areas, nevertheless, the society has been opening its eyes and
toiling relentlessly to bring back the long lost charm of the areas (Piggott-McKellar and
McNamara 2017). Nevertheless, they are perfect destinations for the festivities and holidays.

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References:
Australia, T., 2013. There’s nothing like Australia.
Authority, G.B.R.M.P., 2014. Great barrier reef outlook report 2014.
Authority, G.B.R.M.P., 2014. Great Barrier Reef region strategic assessment: Strategic
assessment report.
Authority, G.B.R.M.P., 2016. Interim report: 2016 coral bleaching event on the Great Barrier
Reef.
Economics, D.A., 2013. Economic contribution of the Great Barrier Reef.
Emslie, M.J., Logan, M., Williamson, D.H., Ayling, A.M., MacNeil, M.A., Ceccarelli, D., Cheal,
A.J., Evans, R.D., Johns, K.A., Jonker, M.J. and Miller, I.R., 2015. Expectations and outcomes
of reserve network performance following re-zoning of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Current Biology, 25(8), pp.983-992.
Hughes, T.P., Day, J.C. and Brodie, J., 2015. Securing the future of the Great Barrier Reef.
Nature Climate Change, 5(6), p.508.
Piggott-McKellar, A.E. and McNamara, K.E., 2017. Last chance tourism and the Great Barrier
Reef. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 25(3), pp.397-415.
Thompson, A., Schroeder, T., Brando, V.E. and Schaffelke, B., 2014. Coral community
responses to declining water quality: whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Coral
Reefs, 33(4), pp.923-938.
Wolanski, E., 2018. Physical oceanographic processes of the Great Barrier Reef. CRC Press