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• Atmosphere
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• Australian Antarctic Territory

Issue: Utilisation and value of biodiversity - Tourism

This is an issue under the Biodiversity theme of the Data Reporting System.

Why we need to know about this issue

Tourism is one of Australia's fastest growing industries. It is a major source of foreign exchange, domestic product, income and employment. Nature-based tourism is a strong drawcard and people come from all over the world to observe the flora and fauna that is unique to the Australian continent and, like many Australians, take advantage of our extensive coastline. Visitors enjoy activities such as sightseeing, bushwalking, fishing, canoeing and spotting native wildlife.

However, tourism can have significant impact on the environment. The areas that are particularly appealing to tourists are often places with high biodiversity. Tourist make noise, disturb the environment and need services such as accommodation, food, transport, fuel and waste disposal. All this can result in the destruction of the qualities of an area that attracted tourists in the first place.

Australia's natural features attract millions of visitors (domestic and international) each year and generate significant economic benefits for regions. Australia's tourism industry is a major user of biological resources and the health of Australia's biodiversity will be a major factor in determining the expansion of the tourism industry. Management of these areas need to consider environment protection aspects. The tourism industry can be a major force in the conservation of Australia biodiversity. Many people are embracing ‘ecotourism’.

While Australia’s tourism industry includes Antarctic tourism, this indicator has been restricted to the Australian continent as separate issues and indicators have been developed for the AAT.

Indicators

• BD-25 Tourism activities based in areas of high biodiversity significance 
  Ideally, to show both the extent of the pressure and the economic contribution of biodiversity tourism, the indicator would show tourist days and tourist dollars, broken down by areas of high, medium and low biodiversity value and/or vulnerability.
• CO-12 Value of and numbers participating in coastal and marine-based tourism and recreation 
  A substantial proportion of the spiritual and aesthetic vale of the coasts and oceans to human life may be attributable to the life forms living in the oceans and the coast-ocean interface.
• LD-13 Value of and numbers participating in landscape-based tourism and recreation 
  Since biodiversity values represent a significant proportion of the aesthetic, spiritual and recreational value of the land environment, numbers seeking recreation from the land environment is to some degree of the utilisation of biodiversity.

Related issues

• Coasts and Oceans - Contributions of the coasts and oceans to human life - Non-material values benefits (heritage, recreation, aesthetic and spiritual) 
• Land - Contributions of land to human life - Non-materials benefits from the land 
• Human Settlements - Services provided by the environment to human settlements - Recreation from the environment