BX3095 Visitor & Crowd Behaviour: Wildlife Danger, Sustainability

This assignment delves into the challenges of visitor and crowd behavior management, particularly focusing on the sustainability of wildlife tourism, specifically crocodile tours in Australia's Northern Territory. It addresses the issue of declining tourist numbers and the threats posed by practices like feeding wild crocodiles, which leads to overfeeding, aggression, and habituation to boats. The report identifies stakeholders such as tourists, local and state governments, tour operators, and the environment, highlighting their roles and concerns. It explores assumptions about the long-term consequences of water pollution and littering, emphasizing the need for customer feedback, advertising strategies, and stricter laws to protect wildlife and the environment. The assignment also proposes solutions like re-engineering visitor behavior through education, promoting responsible tourism, and leveraging technology through wildlife protection apps. The ultimate goal is to balance economic benefits with the preservation of the natural habitat and the safety of both tourists and wildlife. Desklib offers this solved assignment and other study resources for students.

Visitor and Crowd Behaviour Management 1
Visitor and Crowd Behaviour Management
Wildlife danger, sustainability and promotion
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Visitor and Crowd Behaviour Management 2
Contents
Overview.....................................................................................................................................................3
Attitude.......................................................................................................................................................3
Beginning.....................................................................................................................................................3
Consider again.............................................................................................................................................4
Definition of stakeholders...........................................................................................................................5
Explore Assumptions...................................................................................................................................6
Find information..........................................................................................................................................7
Get the responsibility right..........................................................................................................................9
Options......................................................................................................................................................11
Option 1.................................................................................................................................................11
Option 2.................................................................................................................................................12
Maximize outcomes..................................................................................................................................14
References.................................................................................................................................................15

Visitor and Crowd Behaviour Management 3
Overview
The following assignment stresses the problems faced in the visitor and crowd behavior
management. Discussions on the problems and their solutions have been highlighted.
Importance has been given to save the wildlife and other animals as well as their natural
habitats from being spoiled by a large mass of tourists visiting during tours.
Attitude
The visitor and crowd behavior at public places become unmanageable at times leading to
serious threats and injuries. The danger to wildlife and its sustainability is a big question to
tackle with. The issues faced in the problem can be solved by designing various strategies and
use of good marketing tools. The danger in crocodile tours can be solved by reducing the
number of tourists visiting and taking part in dangerous activities. The stakeholders feel that
there is an adequate solution to this, but with the promotion of good advertisements, laws, and
practices, we could easily reduce the number of tours thereby decreasing the risk of dangerous
activities (Benton, 2011).
Beginning
One of the major problems faced is the core environmental issue which is disturbing the natural
habitat of crocodiles. Crocodiles are among the endangered animals and it’s our responsibility
to protect them as they have many prehistoric links with the past. If they become extinct, we
will not get a second chance to keep their species protected. As the people visiting their
habitats are spoiling their breathable area, it would be detrimental for the species to continue.
Playing the role of predators and preys, crocodiles are considered to maintain the health of

Visitor and Crowd Behaviour Management 4
many aquatic environments. Another serious issue is feeding wildlife while people are on tours.
It is known that feeding is taken as a tool to attract people on such tours. The department of
environmental and Heritage actions states that it is illegal to feed animals when you are on
wildlife tours. People throw food at the animals for fun and enjoyment but they do not realize
the consequences behind it. Throwing food at the animals while boating or walking around is a
potential crime and can lead to heavy fines. People love to be adventurous and therefore take
this tour as a hobby and practice illegal activities. This disturbance destroys their natural habitat
making it difficult for the animals to live (Calver & Page, 2013).
They feel a sense of danger over time. Organizing such tours during holidays/vacation brings a
lot of revenue to a particular country but in return harms the wildlife, especially crocodiles. So,
we can analyze that there are environmental issues which are affecting the crocodiles. Strict
actions need to be taken and serious laws to be imposed by the government, only then the
identity of crocodiles will be intact (Cheng, Du & Ma, 2014).
Consider again
Apart from the environmental issues, there are various other issues which are posing a threat
to the wildlife on a longer basis. Not only it disturbs their natural habitat, but it also puts the life
of the tourists in danger. Apart from such issues, the stakeholders have encountered various
other problems too. There are long- term environmental issues that may occur. It is a well-
known fact that feeding animals will cause more harm than good, and the tourists are well
aware of this, but still, they risk their lives. Cjoskāns & Lektauers, 2017).

Visitor and Crowd Behaviour Management 5
Wild animals can, therefore, be dangerous to tourists. For example, if the crocodiles are being
fed by the tourists, they will try to come out to collect thus giving competition to the other
animals of the surroundings. People try to come out of their boats for feeding the animals, thus
increasing the chances of being hurt by them, making activities and their habitats totally unsafe,
both for animals and for the tourists (Cole & Hall, 2009).
Definition of stakeholders
The main stakeholders identified in this issue are the tourists, the local and state governments,
the tour operators and the environment. The government is facing an ongoing issue that the
tour operators in spite of aware of the dangers are allowing people to feed the animals when
they are on their tours. It has already been mentioned earlier that feeding the wildlife can be
dangerous to the people and animals like crocodiles are always on handouts for their diet. Also,
boating tours, cause a lot of water pollution as people throw litter and other disposables in the
water (D'Antonio & Monz, 2016).
In this way, the environment is also affected. If we see the other side of the coin, the existence
of such tours will attract future tourists too. This will keep bringing a lot of revenue thus
growing the economy of the country. They enjoy the excursions, thus increasing a lot of
activities at that place. But, it is not necessary that such tours would always be positive (East,
Osborne, Kemp & Woodfine, 2017).
The operators organizing the tours do not know how the day would go. The tourists might
experience negative things while on their tours, like minor injuries caused etc. Another issue
faced is the disagreement of the people to feed food to the wild animals. In spite of being

Visitor and Crowd Behaviour Management 6
aware of the dangers, they tend to put their lives in risks. Also, tour operators which are the
major stakeholders feel that such tours sight for a competition with other tours and they have a
competitive advantage over prices, attractive offers etc (Kountouriotis, Thomopoulos & Papelis,
2014).
They do not abide by the law of not feeding the crocodiles. This can be alarming because not
abiding by the laws may put their lives as well as the lives of the tourists in danger. In addition
to this, huge fines will be levied on the operators. Also, the natural habitat of the crocodiles will
no longer be healthy and safe for them (Moore & Taplin, 2014).
The environment is a major stakeholder under which everything else is operating. The activities
of other stakeholders will have a huge impact on the environment and wrong steps might make
the issue more glaring. The Environment cannot speak for himself but will suffer the largest
impact if precautionary measures are not taken (Punel, Ermagun & Stathopoulos, 2018).
The government is another stakeholder can impose laws and promotional campaigns. The
tourists though contribute to the economy by participating in such activities and tours, but their
behavior towards wildlife might put them in danger and also destroy and pollute their habitat
(Quadros, Goulart, Passos, Vecci & Young, 2014).
Explore Assumptions
The stakeholders have also highlighted various other problems in this issue. The most
important problem which is to be taken into serious consideration is the prevention of water
from being littered because people are not realizing the long- term consequences related to it.
Boating tours are encouraging a lot of pollutants to get into the water and destroying the

Visitor and Crowd Behaviour Management 7
habitat for crocodiles and other aquatic animals. In their fun and enjoyment, they throw
garbage inside the water posing a serious threat. While such tours take place, people should be
guided and instructed to clean themselves and not to carry any eatables along with them
(Vassiliadis, Priporas & Andronikidis, 2013).
They should also encourage others to do the same. The tour operators are generating a lot of
income from such tours, so they should try to follow the rules set for protecting wildlife. The
placement of these tours and the activities that form a part of it will decide the future of the
habitat of crocodiles, whether they will survive or will be in danger.
Find information
There are various problems highlighted in this issue which need to be rectified at the right time
before it is too late. There are various techniques and methods which can help us solve these
problems. The most important factor is customer feedback. A customer plays a primary role in
any business and activity, and he is the only one from which one can gather authentic
information. If the customer is satisfied, he will give good feedback thus enhancing your
business, on the other hand, if it is bad; it means there is a lot of improvement needed in the
required area. The service quality in the tourism industry also plays a major role as everything
depends on it. It has to be improvised and made impressive so that it satisfies the customer and
brings back good feedback (Bode & Codling, 2013).
It is still to find which services are good for the tourism industry. In case of our problem, it is
difficult to know what the tourists feel when they go for such boating tours. Their experiences
have to be captured for future improvements. There are various ways of extracting feedbacks

Visitor and Crowd Behaviour Management 8
from the customer. The tourist guide, who goes with the tourist on the boating tours, can make
small videos of the people explaining their experiences and what could be the scope of
improvement. Also, when the tour is over, the tourists can fill a feedback form either online or
offline. Such feedbacks will be of great help and help the tour operators to make the required
changes and improve their tour quality (Bush & Balven, 2018).
This information can protect the crocodiles from losing their identities too. In addition to this,
the local and state governments are also required to take necessary actions. They should
implement advertising strategies related to the issue. The strategies should be designed to
meet a long- term effect. The advertisements can be graphic, informative and educational
which can explain the long- term effect on crocodiles and their environment.
Pamphlets and brochures can be handed over to the tourist who explains the dos and don’ts of
the tour. In respect to this, strict observation should be kept on the tourists that they do not
break the laws. Big boards should be used informing people about the harmful effects and
endangering acts of the animals. Television as an advertisement tool can also be used to make
the people aware of the effects of water pollution in the animal prone area. Usage of more
paper for campaigns and ads will lead to the forceful cutting of trees, thus encouraging
deforestation, leading to an environment issue again. As we know, people are using
smartphones; apps for protecting wildlife and their environment can be launched (Eickhoff &
Muntermann, 2016).
Such an app will give all details related to the boating tour, it will also highlight the activities
which are not to be done during the tour. Apart from this, it will make the people aware of the

Visitor and Crowd Behaviour Management 9
consequences of the activities that they do for their fun and enjoyment. Laws should be made
to protect wildlife. No eatables and polythene bags should be allowed. This will protect the area
from being littered. For protecting the crocodiles and other animals, and keep our environment
healthy, not only the government but everyone will have to come hand in hand to keep our
natural entities safe. The sustainability of the environment and the wildlife is clearly linked to
the concepts of Middleton’s 10 R’s (Lichtenfeld & Bar-Hai, 2011).
All the concepts relate to the tourism industry, but the re-engineer theory is one of the
concepts that have a close relationship with the present issue. Re-engineering is basically the
redesigning and restructuring of the behavior through personal intervention. An example of re-
engineering can be of a sort that the tourists enjoy the wildlife tours, but shouldn’t harm them
and their environment. They should observe them from a distance. Let them not be disturbed
and may live life peacefully. This applies not only to the tourists but also to tourist guides
(Lichtenfeld & Bar-Hai, 2011).
We have already mentioned earlier, that feeding of animals can be dangerous as it spoils their
feeding habits and can provide damage to the tourists and locals. It will be harmful to the
environment also as more of the crowd approaching in the wildlife areas invites lots of litter
which pollutes the water making it infectious. In 2014, there was a fatal attack on the Adelaide
River, where numerous boating tours are functional. If the number of tours is decreased on the
Adelaide River, it will eventually decrease the frequency of attacks occurring there (Macdonald,
2016).

Visitor and Crowd Behaviour Management 10
Get the responsibility right
Through adequate research and proposed solutions for this issue, it is clear that the problem
requires the right people who can responsibly solve this issue. Our primary motive is to protect
wildlife and their environment from destroying. There is no clear problem highlighted in this
issue, but we know that the core problems are related to feeding of crocodiles and the harm
that the tourists can cause with their discerning activities when they are on boating tours.
Getting feedback forms filled by the tourists, promoting campaigns and ads on the related issue
will increase awareness among the people. These are the tools which can effectively work to
solve this problem. But this is not sufficient enough. The stakeholders who are involved in this
issue have to take the sole responsibility of protecting crocodiles and their environment. They
can probably find a solution with the use of their resources and knowledge (Pathan, Hamadi &
Michaelis, 2014).
More and more of campaigns must be promoted to make the people aware of the harmful
effects caused due to the feeding of wild animals. The local and state government should run
these campaigns under their supervision so that the right information reaches to the tourists.
Some tour operators us boating tours as a marketing tool to attract more tourists. This should
be stopped and even if it continues, people should follow the rules and regulations. None of the
wild animals, especially the crocodiles should be fed unattended. They should not be fed litter
or garbage too. Also, the average number of tourists visiting the animals at one point of time
must be limited. The ticket prices can be increased as we have a demand for that, and the tour
operators can get benefits from it. Number of tourists going at the same time will lead to chaos.

Visitor and Crowd Behaviour Management 11
The tour must be hassle free and peaceful for the tourists as well as for the animals (Zhao, Cai &
Turner, 2017).
Options
Option 1
There are various techniques and methods that can be used to solve this problem and the
consequences of not solving the issue can also be highlighted. Many methods have already
been discussed. The campaigning of the tour related issues by the local and state government
can serve as an eye-opener for the tourists. Many ads on TV will give wide coverage to this
problem. More of the advertisements will publicize the issue and people will become more
active towards solving it. Buffering ads on channels like YouTube can also be given to create
more awareness among people. Pamphlets and brochures can be distributed from time to time
showing the bad effects of the activities done by the tourists. People will be more aware of the
consequences and majority of people will try not to disturb the animals and their habitats with
their wrong activities. Feeding of the animals by the tourists should be stopped and the harm
they cause to other animals in competition while feeding should be highlighted. A web page can
be prepared which displays the crocodile tour and its list of do’s and don’ts. On the same web
page, a columns or link should be developed where the tourists can leave their suggestions to
improve and solve this issue. They can also leave their feedbacks of the tour, their experiences
and the behavior of the tour operators with the tourists as well as the wild animals. Those ideas
or suggestions can be taken for further improvement. This might solve this issue to a great
extent. Graphic representations or slides can be prepared to cite examples about how

Visitor and Crowd Behaviour Management 12
crocodiles and another animals harm each other when they are fed. For example, an ad on the
TV which shows the tourist feeding the crocodiles and the competition that takes place while
competing for food can be shown. This will spread a message as to how dangerous it will be to
feed the crocodiles. Its consequence on a long-term basis can be displayed. Another image in
the form of an ad can be shown where the tourists keep feeding the wildlife and the results
thereafter. It can’t be measured how much impact it will create on the tourists, but a change
will start taking place if such awareness programs continue (Kamp, 2011).
Threatening effect of plastic bags on animals.
[studoco.com]
The following picture shows the consequence of using polythene bags and their effects on
animals. The material of polythene bags contains poisonous substances which when mixed with
water makes it toxic and harmful for the animals to consume.
Option 2
The second option/method is to prevent the natural habitats of the animals from being littered.
The tour operators gain a lot of money from this business, but this is only possible if the animals
remain alive. If the habitats are continuously littered with garbage and disposables, it will affect
the surroundings putting the animals in a state of threat. Throwing litter in the water causes a
lot of water pollution which is harmful for the animals. Eatables of any kind should not be