Analyzing Hospitality and Environmental Issues: Great Barrier Reef

This report delves into the hospitality sector within the Whitsunday and Great Barrier Reef region, emphasizing the importance of sustainable development in balancing tourism with environmental preservation. The Great Barrier Reef, a designated marine park, significantly benefits from the hospitality sector, contributing 18% to its economy. The food and beverage industry, a key component of tourism, supports local communities through job creation, revenue generation, and skill utilization, employing approximately 85,000 individuals. However, environmental challenges such as damage to coral reefs, marine life depletion, and climate change impacts pose threats to the reef's ecosystem and associated industries. Political factors and criticism regarding Australia's conservation efforts further complicate the situation. To address these issues, the report suggests implementing water quality improvement plans, engaging local communities in tourism, educating farmers on reducing runoff, and enforcing stricter regulations on waste disposal, ultimately promoting a more sustainable approach to business in the Great Barrier Reef.

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1NEWS ARTICLE
Operating in the Great Barrier Reef
The paper aims to deal with hospitality sector in the context of The Whitsunday and
Great Barrier Reef. The former has improved its tourism sector with the help of sustainable
development plan and by attaining social, economic and environmental sustainability. The
area is famous for pristine natural experience and has been able to achieve a harmonious
approach to tourism by embracing environmental sustainability and innovation as well as
strategically preserve the natural environment to thrive the tourism sector on which the local
community is depended. The Great Barrier Reef has been primarily designated as a marine
park and brings forth the recreational pleasure of its visitors.
The hospitality sector accounts for 18% of Great Barrier Reef’s economy owing to the
vast marine life. It has a record of 2,017,604 visitors annually therefore broadening the
revenue base of the local communities (Authority 2014). The business segment of
hospitability management food services has improved the ability of social groups, for
instance the sale of labor and local commodities to the foreign visitors and better utilization
of the local commodities. The food and beverage industry that forms a major part of the
tourism sector benefits the local community by smoothening business and operation in the
area, generating more revenue to the local suppliers, creating job opportunities and better
utilization of skills and fostering economic growth for the local business (Morrison 2017). It
is reported that food and beverages accounts for 85,000 full-time jobs for the local
community in the area (Wolff et al 2018). The sector is advantageous even for the backward
community by ensure that they are able to make the utmost use of skilled and unskilled
workers. One of the many opportunities is improved social participation by integrating the
alienated into the work environment. Proper utilization of the community facilitates better
business operation in the Whitsunday Island. More than 3,000 people from the island are

2NEWS ARTICLE
directly involved with the sector of food and beverages. The Whitsundays caters mainly to a
vibrant and youthful set of customers (Ainsworth et al. 2016). The community is failing to
satisfy main drive of tourists like fishing and rafting due to environmental concerns.
Environmental factor is massively impacting the hospitality department for instance
causing tremendous damage to the coral reefs, depletion of marine life due to over-fishing
and damage from bleaching. The government has therefore permitted only 7% of the area
accessible to the tourists (Wolff et al 2018). Considerable climatic changes in the Reef have
affected the social well-being that the reef provides. Climate changes and water pollution has
depleted the beauty of the reef thereby affecting the associated industries like food and
beverages. Tourism in the area has generated ecological damage due to accumulation of toxic
waste decreasing coral diversity of the area. Political factors like criticism towards Australia
on failing to be a global role model has affected protection plan of the Reef. With the help of
more socio-economically aware tourists, the Reef can challenge the increasing amount of
damage (Wolff et al 2018).
Business in The Great Barrier Reef has framed the water quality improvement plan in
order to maintain a balance between environmental damage created by excessive tourist
accommodation of the place. Since the marine environment is the biggest asset of the reef
preserving it can foster sustainable approach to business. Therefore in conclusion, the other
sustainable approaches could be engagement of local community into guiding tourists,
teaching the farmers on reducing run off to the catchment area. The government should
implement changes like stricter control in dumping dredge material in Reef and imposing
hefty penalty on the wrong-doers.

3NEWS ARTICLE
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