THT2114 - Sustainable Management in Uluru-Kata National Park Case

This paper analyzes the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and the concept of 'Sorry Rocks' through the lens of sustainable tourism. It addresses challenges in operations, resources, and branding, particularly concerning the impact of rising temperatures and the integration of Anangu cultural laws (Tjukurpa). The paper explores how the park can effectively manage the relationship between profit, people, and the planet by setting rules on littering, implementing safety measures to prevent fires, and promoting responsible waste disposal and recycling within the hospitality sector. The reflection emphasizes the importance of respecting local cultures, preserving natural resources, and adopting responsible consumption practices to ensure the long-term sustainability of tourism destinations. It discusses the role of management in creating policies and strategies that benefit current and future generations, while also ensuring the equitable distribution of profits and the protection of the environment.

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Executive Summary
The objective of this paper is to respond to two cases – the Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park and the
Sorry Rocks and the Tourism of Regret in order to provide a better understanding of concepts of
sustainable tourism themes such as responsible marketing and branding of a destination as well as
development and management of sustainable destinations. The first case identifies major challenges
of operations, resources, and brand image. The second case seeks to discuss ways that the National
Park can successfully manage the relationships between profit, people, and the planet.
Introduction
Sustainable tourism involves the kind of tourism that that considers the entire account of current
and future economic, social, and environmental impacts, responding to the needs of visitors, the
industry, the environment and host communities. Delivering sustainable development implies
gaining a balance between an economic pillar, the social pillar, the environmental pillar, and the
transverse pillar. Therefore, any sustainable tourism destination such as that of the Uluru–Kata Tjuta
National Park and the Sorry Rocks and the Tourism of Regret, management must always ensure
viable long-term economic operations that provide socio-economic benefits to every stakeholder.
Management should also respect the socio-cultural authenticity of all the host communities,
conserve traditional values, and living cultural heritage. Management must also ensure that the
destination makes proper use of environmental resources as part of tourism development,
maintenance of critical ecological processes, as well as conserving the natural resources and
biodiversity.
Identification and Discussion of The key issues and challenges in managing the national
park’s
Operations
Uluru-kata Tjunta National park is managed jointly by the Anangu and Parks Australia. The
Anangu are recognized as the parks original owners. The part is home to Uluru and Tjuta.
The Anangu lease it back to Parks Australia to be managed as a national park (Buckley
2004). When managing the park jointly, challenges are experienced. The main challenge
come with rise in temperature. This causes operational challenges especially during summer.
Extreme heat heightens the risk of heat-related incidents in the park. From October to march,
temperatures rise to over 39 degrees and above. The increase in heat leads to reduction of
actives past 11 am. This consequently leads to lower income earning in eight months.
Reduction in money earned in fees negatively affects the finances of the park.

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The park operates by joint management. In daily operations the laws of Tjukurpa must be
observe and adhered to. The laws form a basis of running the park. They dictate on what
should and should not be done. The law ensures that each gender goes to their rightful cites.
The roads are also marked to protect sacred cities.
The Anangu possess vast knowledge about the park. They thus assist in smooth operations on
the park. They provide cultural information on the resources in the park. This includes
interpreting landscape features to the visitors. They also give guidelines on sacred cites and
activities forbidden in the park.
Brand image
Branding the park is important to its success. It creates a good image to prospective visitors.
Branding entails creating both an image and benefits that lead to a level of distinction, brand
equity and competitor differentiator (Nolan, 2018). This will help increase the level of
visitation thus increasing finances. Branding the park entails giving details of what the
management has to offer. This may be in terms of the wildlife and hospitality serves they
offer. The park has animals, plants and extemporal landscapes. The key attraction is the
Uluru and Kata and should be well exploited. Branding can be done through making
brochure, creating a detailed website. The experience at the park should also be good so as to
encourage tourists to visit again. Good experience also leads to good reviews thus creating a
good public image of the park. This may turn out to be a difficult task. This is because all
tourists have personal expectations. The management may not be able to practically meet
them all.
Resources
The park has vast cultural and natural resources that attract tourists. This is in relation to the
wild life and the Anunga people living in the park. The resources create a base for tourist
attraction . (Buckley 2004). The Anunga has performed songs and dances. This brings a

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cultural environment in the park. Culture is also experienced through rock painting and sand
painting. When managing the resources, difficulties may be experienced. Park fires are prone
to happen thus endangering wildlife. Ensuring that the host community is friendly to the
tourist’s may be hard. Some of them may view tourists as intruders thus creating a hostile
negative environment.
Identification and Discussion of how the National park can successfully manage the
relationships between profit, people and the planet
Sustainable development entails making economic development without depleting natural
resources (Shah, 2018). In the park, this will be in relation to people, environment and its
economic state. The people living in the park should live responsibly to avoid exhaustion of
resources. This entails both the indigenous and immigrants. The management should also
priorities nature over economic gains. This ensures that the park protects the resources it is
responsible for.
The management can ensure sustainable development in different ways. This may include
setting rules on littering in the park. This helps prevent pollution within the premises. Safety
measures should also be taken reduce chances of a fire outbreak. The hospitality sector
should also practice proper garbage disposal and recycling. This will ensure people have a
good experience without destroying the environment.

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3B: Individual Reflection of Studying Sustainability
1. Reflect on the issue of ‘sorry rocks’ and insight about your ideas/future action
within the Tourism and hospitality industry
I have learnt that preserving the culture where we live and those of visitors play an essential
role of looking at the landscape from other cultural viewpoints. When visiting any tourist
destination, our role is to experience the good nature and including every resource within it.
In order to conserve the nature, management of a destination plays a role of ensuring that
sustainability revolves around socio-cultural, economic, and environmental pillars (Asian-
Pacific Economic Cooperation, 2013). Furthermore, I have also learnt that in deed tourism is
an important aspect that serves the role of sustainable development in order to ensure
continued growth and dynamism of the sector. We must also acknowledge its contribution
towards the economy for both the local destinations as well as the nation.
Whenever we visit any destination, we must interact well to preserve the nature and
everything including souvenirs that serve as the culture of the indigenous community living
in the park. Taking the items offends them and is a disgrace to what they believe. This should
enlighten us to consider other’s views when touring (Iyyanki 2017). This will help prevent
host communities from being hostile toward us. Respecting their ideologies creates a good
environment for both the visitors and management. In such cases, the management should
have laws to prevent such scenarios. The tourists should be enlightened on the host
community. This will assist the tourist know what will be offensive towards them. The
management should also prohibit tourist from taking sensitive items from the park. This will
ensure peaceful coexistence between the host community, management, and tourists.
Furthermore, my future action would involve strengthening the relationship between the
destination areas that serve as hosts to tourists including the natural and social environment,

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tourists and entire sector. They will all play an important role in ensuring sustainable
development.
Question 2: Reflection on my personal insights about:
1. Sustainable Management
I have gained mush of insight that sustainable management of tourism offers the best
opportunity for a country and a destination to have an effective utilization of natural
resources as well as the cultural landscape. It is through doing this that we can all be proud to
participate in generation of wealth that will later on translate into real benefits for every
society (Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation, 2013). Furthermore, I also understand that in
order to manage any destination, every stakeholder must be ready and willing to come up
with policies, strategies and appropriate actions and objectives that would sustain future
generations. For example, it is important to create plans that encourage and promote
development of tourism. Furthermore, management should be one that encourages proper
utilization of resources in the form of nature and human. Such a move should also go beyond
equitable distribution of profits.
Responsible consumption
Responsible consumption is also a key goal towards achieving sustainable development. The
daily increase in population leads to increase in consumption of resources. This situation may
lead to depletion of resources (Webb, 2008). In this course, I learnt that proper usage of
available resources is crucial and more importantly, for sustainability of the current and
future generations to come. They should also be enlightened on the various ways of ensuring
responsible consumption. This will be a great step towards sustainable development of
destinations.
Conclusion

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Sustainable management entails making economic developments without depleting natural
resources. This secures the environment for future generations. It aims at meeting the set goal
that ensures a better world for us and for the people to come. I have learnt that the principles
of are of great importance. This aspect is applicable in all situations in life. In the tourism
department, it is useful in many ways. The principle of environmental protection greatly
affects the tourism fields.

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References.
Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (2013). Sustainable development of tourism
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