Wildlife Tourism Challenges on North Stradbroke Island: A Review

This literature review focuses on wildlife tourism, specifically on North Stradbroke Island, Australia. The study explores the increasing popularity of wildlife tourism and its associated environmental impacts. It delves into the background of the research, highlighting the challenges posed by overpopulation and human activities on the island's ecosystem and wildlife. The review examines the rationale of the study, which aims to identify problems, propose solutions, and suggest revenue allocation strategies for sustainable tourism. The methodology involves data collection through secondary sources and qualitative analysis. The results section addresses the need to restrict visitor numbers and allocate revenue effectively. The discussion highlights the negative effects of tourism, such as pollution and habitat disruption. The review emphasizes the importance of minimizing tours, implementing seasonal visits, and ensuring the safety of both tourists and wildlife. The study concludes by proposing measures to mitigate negative impacts and promote the conservation of the island's natural environment.

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Running head: Tourism and hospitality
TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

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Abstract
The research project is about describing the facts and incidents related to wildlife tourism
specifically focusing on the North Stradbroke Island location. A research background is
present in the project describing the origin of the issues and their impacts. It also talks about
different cases related to wild animal attack on humans as well as counter attack from the
residents. The rationale of the study is to provide effective solutions for these issues that both
Tourists and the wildlife Habitat are facing in this area.

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Table of Contents
Abstract......................................................................................................................................3
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Background of the research....................................................................................................4
The rationale of the study.......................................................................................................4
Research aim..........................................................................................................................5
Research objectives................................................................................................................5
Research questions.................................................................................................................5
Methodology..............................................................................................................................5
Data collection method..........................................................................................................5
Data analysis..........................................................................................................................6
Ethics......................................................................................................................................6
Results........................................................................................................................................6
Discussion..................................................................................................................................7
Recommendation........................................................................................................................8
References..................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
Presently the wildlife tourism has become the central point of attraction to the people
throughout the world. Coupled with the digitalisation of almost everything, it has also
become easier to connect with the whole world just sitting in your home with the help of the
internet. Be it situated in any corner of the world people can now see the diverse culture and
natural beauty of all the wildlife location or places in the world. North Stradbroke Island is a
beautiful wildlife location with a wide range of beautiful wildlife animals and plants and an
unbelievably beautiful scenic beauty. The island is situated at the north Straddie of Australia.
The beautiful beaches and culture of the place attract numerous tourists every year to visit the
place. Tourists are overwhelmed by the adventure, surfing, the traditional festivals such as the
famous Quandamooka festival of the natives of the country and many more fun activities
offered by the tourism organisations. However, on the other side of the spectrum, it also
leaves a negative effect on the place and on the habitat too. Many problems are arousing from
these activities, which may adversely affect the environmental aspects of the place and
destroy the natural eco-balance of the surroundings and thereby deteriorating the ecological
footprint (Pirotta & Lusseau, 2015). In this study, these harmful effects caused by the wildlife
tourism to the place and on its habitats are discussed. Moreover, plausible solutions to these
problems will be proposed in the research paper.
Background of the research
In the recent era, wildlife tourism is gaining huge attention across the globe. Along with the
outburst of the human population, the number of tourists visiting these wildlife destinations is
increasing rapidly. Wildlife tourism is being regarded as the biggest business opportunity of
recent times all over the world. The natural beauty and the diversity of flora and fauna of
these locations attract the tourists towards these places. However, with the increasing number

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of people or tourists with the passage of time, there also arise certain issues which are
intricately related with the wildlife tourism.
Increasing number of tourists is over-populating these locations to such an extent that it is
becoming difficult for the local habitats as well as the wildlife creatures to sustain their
normal life (Taylor, Bogdan, & DeVault, 2015). Humans are introducing various non-natural
and rather alien setups in the wild, which in turn are giving rise to problems and often
terrorising the natural habitats of that area. People often cause something so harmful and
unhealthy things to the natural habitats of the area, that unknowingly causes some serious
damage to the ecosystem of the place.
There are numerous behind the wild animals attacking the tourists or even the guides, which
raises the question of security. So, in this study, the effect of these things on the wildlife and
how the problems can be solved in order to conserve the natural health of the location will be
discussed. The proper allocation of the revenue in order to conserve these wildlife locations
and providing the safety to the people related to the process, be it the tourists or the tour
guides or anyone else, is also a matter of consideration in this case (Burgin & Hardiman,
2015). Thus, a specific wildlife location, the North Stradbroke Island is being considered for
the research purpose in this study.
The background of the study is tracking the effects of the overpopulation of people in the
wildlife location such as the North Stradbroke Island and trying to deliver some possible
solutions to the problems arousing in the process of the wildlife tourism. The island is
situated at the Straddie in Australia. The tourism organisation is offering various attractive
programs to the tourists. However, in this process, they are leaving certain harmful impact
over the wildlife of that place and sometimes even creating problems for the locals,
knowingly or even unknowingly.

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The tourists are bringing various harmful, non-natural products to the wildlife, which in turn
is giving rise to problems for the habitats of the place. These things are often polluting the
water as well as the forest surroundings. As addressed by Larm et al. (2018), too much noise
created by the people is spoiling the natural and peaceful environment of the place. People
are even disposing off unwanted substances, which are non-degradable such as plastic made
things such as plastic bottles, plastic bags and other things made of plastic or similar harmful
materials to the natural system (Rizzari et al. 2017). These are making the place dirty and a
mess.Thus, it is important for the wildlife tourism organisations to consider these things and
take necessary measures to control the situation.
The rationale of the study
Rationale of this research study has three main points on which the study will be based.
These three points are thoroughly covered throughout the research work, and a suitable
conclusion has also been provide so as to achieve the desired outcome of the research..
1. Various problems are arising from the process of the wildlife tourism in the North
Stradbroke Island. These problems will be discussed and tracked thoroughly in the
research study.
2. A possible solution to the problems that have been tracked down in the research study
will be proposed. The research work has also discussed the way through which the
management of the concerned location can deal with these issues along with the basic
responsibilities that the tourists as well as the local residents are required to take.
Ways to avoid these factors in order to stop the pollution of the place as well as the
other problems too will be discussed in this study (Rizzari et al., 2017).
3. The study also focuses on proposing solution to pollution in the wildlife conservative
areas. Again, other problems regarding the process of the tourism at these places and

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ensuring the safety of all the people starting from the tourists to the tour guides has
been provided in this research study.
Research aim
The main aim of the research is to identify wildlife tourism on the wildlife ecosystem and
habitat.
Research objectives
 To identify the effects of the wildlife tourism on the respective wildlife surroundings
and its habitats as well.
 To provide the possible solutions to those problems.
 To deliver a suitable allocation of the wildlife tourism revenue for implementing those
proposed solutions to the respective problems.
Research questions
1. In which ways it is possible to restrict the number of visitors and why is it necessary?
2. How to allocate the revenue that comes from the wildlife tourism sector to solve these
problems?
Methodology
The research is done in three major parts. In order to carry out the research study
successfully, one must at first conduct a thorough study for understanding the subject of the
research by accessing and utilising various data on the respective subject from different
sources. The sources shall be any valid articles or books on the respective subject of the study
or even the internet itself. In the second step, necessary data is collected from those sources
needed for the research. The last and the most important part of the study is to organise and
analyse those data properly in order to come to a conclusion and fulfilling the objective of the
research study. Even after that if the study does not reach the fulfilment of its objectives, then

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the documentation of the reasons behind that and the challenges that were faced during the
research should be done. This is because in any future research’s attempt on the same subject
those problems could be avoided for the success of the research.
Data collection method
Collecting the proper data for the research is very important in order to obtain a right result of
the study. Data collection can be categorised into two distinct methods, primary data
collection method and secondary data collection method. The primary data collection is done
by doing various interviews, surveys on the subject so that fresh data can be obtained on the
respective matter. The secondary data collection is done by researching various books,
journals, articles etc. related to the respective subject of the research study or even going
through the previous research papers done on the same subject (Flick, 2015). In this research
study, the secondary data collection method has been used although two environmentalists
were approached for a better understanding of the matter and taking their opinions about the
matter.
Data analysis
The data can be analysed in two ways, quantitative data analysis method and qualitative data
analysis method. In the qualitative data analysis method, a thorough, descriptive and non-
numeric data analysis where the respondents of the process provide a thorough and
descriptive data regarding the respective subject of the research study (Taylor et al., 2015).
Where the quantitative data analysis method consists of the numerical data collection using
mathematical and statistical methods for providing evidence and supporting the primary ideas
and assumption on the respective subject of the study. In this research study, the qualitative
data analysis method has been used for obtaining a better understanding of the matter and
providing possible outcomes to solve the problems related to the matter.

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Ethics
The research study has strictly followed the ethical guidelines while collecting the related
data of the study. The data presented in the paper of the research study is claimed to be
authentic. No unauthentic source is used while collecting the data during the project. All the
information provided in the research paper regarding the respective subject of the research
study is true.
Results
For obtaining solution to the problems that are caused by the people in wildlife tourism on the
respective wildlife surroundings of the location, the answers to two of the questions
mentioned before were tried to be obtained in the research study and for this even two
environmentalists were approached for better understanding of the matter and have their
opinion on the matter of solving the respective problems of wildlife tourism.
In which ways it is possible to restrict the number of visitors and why is it necessary?
There are many negative effects of the wildlife tourism such as the pollution of the
environment caused by the disposal of various non-natural, non-eco-friendly materials in the
water as well as in the forests, disturbed breeding patterns of the animals and birds caused by
nest desertion of the birds for doing arrangements for the tourists, egg trampling, disturbed
feeding patterns caused by hand feeding the animals, spotlighting and so on. Overpopulation
of the place causes serious disturbance for the wildlife animals. Therefore, for solving these
problems, the tours could be minimised and even be arranged to be seasonal. In this way, the
number of the tourists can be controlled so that it does not create any problems in the natural
operation of the wildlife (Trave et al. 2017). Necessary constructions and arrangements could
be developed in order to limit the human wild animal’s interaction so that the security of the
both can be ensured. While doing open safaris, proper measures should be maintained so that

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there could be no problems of security of the tourists as well as the animals. The tourists
should be instructed to maintain a safe distance from the wild animals while interacting with
them so that they would not be disturbed and do any harm to them. The tourists should be
restricted to use any harmful non-natural elements and things inside the wildlife. The use and
disposal of plastic made materials should be restricted in the area. There are many
arrangements of human-made attraction in the North Stradbroke Island for amusing the
tourists such as open safaris, surfing, beach parties and many other arrangements for family
time spending in the wild which can cause a disturbance for the wildlife animals and distract
them from their natural habits which can cause problems while the process (Pirotta, &
Lusseau, 2015). So, this man made amusement arrangements should be minimised as much
as possible for solving the problems it creates for the wild animals for maintaining a healthy
and natural environment on the island.
How to allocate the revenue that comes from the wildlife tourism sector in order to solve
these problems?
Wildlife tourism is a rapidly growing business and is considered as one of the biggest
business enterprises all over the world presently. Thus, there is a huge revenue coming from
these sectors of the wildlife tourism. So the countries around the globe are encouraging and
promoting this in order to attract more tourists to visit their country. This considerable
revenue obtained in the wildlife tourism could be used for positive purposes, which could be
beneficial for everybody. Thus, a proper allocation of the revenue is significant for achieving
those positive outcomes in the process (Ardoin et al.2015). Although the activities and
entertainments are attracting the tourists to the North Stradbroke Island, it causes some
serious problems and disturbance for the wildlife animals and harms their natural habitat.
Therefore, it is essential for the wildlife tourism authorities of the North Stradbroke Island to
limit these activities as much as possible. The revenue could rather be used to provide proper

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wages for the workers of the wildlife tourism (Argüelles, Coscarella, Fazio, &Bertellotti,
2016). More workers could be allotted to the tasks of maintaining the cleanliness of the place
and attending the tourists. Various programs and campaigns should be arranged to spread
awareness among the local communities. Betterment of the security arrangements for the
people as well as the animals should be done with this money. Better structures and
arrangements could be made for conserving the natural and healthy lifestyle of the wild
animals.
Discussion
Overpopulation is a big problem in the recent era and causes problems in every sector of the
modern life. The wildlife tourism is also no exception. With an increasing number of tourists,
every year at the North Stradbroke Island the sustainability of the wildlife is at risk. The
people act quite ignorant about these problems sometimes, which causes a serious risk for the
security and sustainability of the animals as well as for themselves too. Sometimes these
ignorant people exploit the wildlife and the properties of the national parks (Conget al.2014).
Cutting off the greenery for doing arrangements for the tourists can cause in lack of the
natural vegetation for the animals of the location as well as cause imbalance in the ecosystem
of the place (Moorhouse et al., 2017). From the answers to the above questions, it is clear that
the problems arising in the wildlife tourism is thus a very grave problem and needs instant
attention. Many serious problems are emerging from the matter of limitless wildlife tourism
in the North Stradbroke Island. People are ignorant of the negative impacts they cause by
various unhealthy activities for the wild animals, birds and trees. Thus, the tourism authority
of North Stradbroke Island should take this matter seriously before it goes out of hand and
causes some serious problem to the habitats of the area. The tourists as well as the local
communities need to be aware of the issues and should co-operate in the process of solving
them. The revenue that comes from the wildlife tourism should be appropriately used in this

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case for solving these problems and maintaining a healthy and natural environment in the
North Stradbroke Island (Notzke, 2016). The entertainment and the activities associated to
the tourism process should be limited to the extent that would not cause any problem or
disturbance for the animals as well as the other habitats of the island (Trave et al., 2017).
In the research study, a thorough discussion about the respective matter of the effects of the
wildlife tourism on the environment and the habitats of the North Stradbroke Island is
conducted. The research also attempted to trace out the possible solutions for the respective
problems of the wildlife tourism and goes through a thorough discussion of the answers to the
two questions proposed in the study. From those answers, the possible solutions are proposed
to the respective problem. It is crucial to understand the matter and solve the problems in
time because it can, in turn, harm us in the future as the whole ecosystem is being vandalised.
So it is expected that this research study will be helpful for solving those problems and
guiding the people to maintain a better and healthier environment in the North Stradbroke
Island as well as at any other wildlife location in the world.
Recommendations
In order to solve the issues related to the wildlife tourism, the authority and the management
should first understand the problems thoroughly. The reasons behind those problems as well
as the negative impacts of the process on the wild animals of the area and on the environment
itself are to be analysed. They should take necessary steps toward the betterment of the
situation and make arrangements for solving the respective problems. They must make the
tourists as well as the local communities aware of the threats related to the subject. The
tourists should be instructed to maintain and follow all the rules and regulation (Ardoin et al.
2015). The use of various harmful materials for the wild animals as well as for the
environment itself should be banned for use in the wildlife area. Ignorant disposal of these

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elements such as the plastic bags or bottles and many other harmful materials or chemical
product should be restricted. The tourists should be instructed to keep a safe distance while
interacting with wild animals. Unauthorised entry in the restricted areas and excess cutting
off trees should be stopped. Thus, with these precautions, the respective problems related to
the wildlife tourism can be solved.
Conclusion
From the study overpopulation has been highlighted related to the case study provided at
North Stradbroke Island. Overpopulation is nearly a threat to the wildlife habitat and also
nature. Different issues raised to overpopulation arise such as pollution, deforestation and
other disturbing incidents. Some recommendations are also provided with respect to the
issues marked in the study.

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References
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Argüelles, M. B., Coscarella, M., Fazio, A., & Bertellotti, M. (2016). Impact of whale-
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increasing demand for wildlife tourism. PloS one, 10(10), e0138939.

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