For Tourism, Leisure and Event Management activities to thrive, a combination of good quality and a natural social environment is required. The growth of TLE activities in an area or region should match the positive impacts of the activities on the environmental, economic and social-cultural conditions of that region. The implementation of sustainable processes involves activities that promote the conservation and preservation of the environment, supporting the people involved and giving rise to economic opportunities.
In this study, we will evaluate the sustainability of TLE activities on the Caloundra region at the area between the main street and the Bulcock Beach through the Kings Beach. A questionnaire survey will be employed to get the views and opinions of a sample group of stakeholders on their thinking about TLE activities around this site. At the end of this study, we will have established the vital role played by the balance between smooth TLE activities and the positive impact of these activities on the three-dimensional spectrum.
Sustainable tourism, leisure, and event (TLE) refer to the maintenance of the present fair, and ethical standards of ecological, social-cultural, economic and environmental impacts without compromising the requisite future standards (Lee, 2013).
How TLE relate to the field trip site
The Bulcock beach is a unique foreshore site located at Caloundra in Australia. It’s a still waters beach with board-walks and multiple restaurants. It has a one-hour walking track patrolled by lifesaver volunteers from Caloundra City Life Saving Club (Tourism and Events Queensland, 2018. Bulcock Beach borders the Kings surf beach. The Kings Beach is the main beach in Caloundra with a children’s and a picnic play area and a swimming pool separate from the ocean but reliant on the ocean waters. The beach area is patrolled by Caloundra-Metropolitan Surf Life Saving Club. The Corbould Park Racetrack provides an amenity to tourists and local residents during the Queensland Winter Racing function. The Regional Council at the Sunshine Coast Region provides library services to the public at Omrah Avenue (Visit Sunshine Coast, 2018).
The Sunshine Coast Airport provides access to the region for visitors from faraway places. This airport is supplemented by a comparatively smaller Sunshine Coast regional airport. The Sunbus Sunshine Coast operates the Caloundra bus services along Cooma Terrace in the central business district. The Landsborough railway station connects the region with Brisbane through the Roma street railway station (Visit Sunshine Coast, 2018).
This area dates back to the year 1875 when Robert Bulcock purchased a big parcel of land in the region. Due to the presence of several beaches and authorization of land sale, the area developed to a tourist attraction region with hotels and guesthouses taking precedence of the most profitable economic ventures. In the year 1917, Robert Bulcock’s son subdivided the land into 404 slots in what came to be known as the Bulcock beach later on. In early 1968, the regional council chambers were relocated from The Shire of Landsborough to Caloundra. In 2008, the Sunshine Coast Regional Council commissioned the Place Design Group to be the lead consultants in the redevelopment project for the Bulcock Beach (Sunshine Coast Council, 2018).
The ability of the region to service the basic transport and infrastructural needs of the future visitors and communities residing around the region is questionable (Caloundra Chamber of Commerce, 2018). In June 2011, the federal government published a report indicating the risk posed by climate change to coastal infrastructural setup and buildings. An anticipated 1.1 meters rise in the sea levels would lead to erosion and flooding disasters at the coastal region (Sunshine Coast Council, 2018).
Another challenge facing the coastal town of Caloundra is aging infrastructure, and the lack of preparedness in disaster management and responsive design measures. The carrying capacity of the Bulcock Beach space is also inadequate. The redevelopment project undertaken by the Place Design Group sought to among other things address the problem posed by the influx of tourists and local residents during the holiday seasons (TripHobo, 2018).
Tourism, Leisure, and Events are inclusively highly evident at this site. The children’s play area, the swimming pool and the picnic events area at the Kings Beach provide amenities for leisure activities to visitors and the local residents. The coastal pathway at the Bulcock beach offers visitors an adventurous experience as they walk along the great walkway while enjoying the scenic view of boardwalks and cliffs. The benches and bike racks at the Bulcock beach provide amenities for recreational leisure activities. The Queensland Winter Racing sports event that takes place at the Corbould Park Racecourse encompasses all three aspects of tourism, leisure and event management (Tourism and Events Queensland, 2018). The presence of a strategic plan for formal events and event budgets at the local authority level provides proof of events management preparedness.
Stakeholders are individuals or groups of people who are directly or indirectly affected by decisions made regarding a certain problem or issue in which they have an interest or stake in (Jordan, Vogt, Kruger &Grewe, 2013). The issue or problem maybe environment-related, a resource, an activity or even a practice. Below is a table of the stakeholders for our field trip site;
|
Direct Stakeholders |
Indirect Stakeholders |
|
Sunshine Coast Regional Council |
Coloundra Chamber of Commerce |
|
Tourists |
Environmental Stakeholders |
|
Queensland Tourist and Travel Corporation |
Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business, and the Commonwealth Games |
|
The Federal Government |
Department of National Parks, Sports, and Racing |
|
Kings and Bulcock Beach communities |
The Aviation Industry |
|
Business Travellers |
Rail and Road Transport |
|
The Hospitality Industry Players |
Non-governmental Organizations |
Tourism, Leisure, and Events require a social and ecological environment that’s both conducive and attractive to stakeholders. It is therefore important to come up with standardized indicators to measure and guide the policy development and the monitoring of the progress of the economic, environmental and social-cultural development process (Tanguay, Rajaonson&Therrien, 2013).
Relevance measuring sustainability has to TLEM.
The evaluation of sustainability in TLE provides a basis for pointing out the challenges facing different categories of stakeholders and the policy and other general measures to deal with the challenges (Waligo, Clarke & Hawkins, 2013). Environmental sustainability evaluation ensures that the natural resources and spaces are used in not only an economical manner but also in a renewable and reusable manner. Through the measurement of social sustainability, the social identity of the communities residing around the area is taken into account. Through economic sustainability evaluation, resources are set aside to cater for specific TLEM project needs (Andersson& Lundberg, 2013).
However, measuring sustainability in TLE may prove to be a complex process. The establishment of a reliable, consistent and realistic set of indicators in the three-dimensional spheres involving the environmental, the economic and the social aspects of the TLEM remains a great challenge (Veal, 2017). The evaluation of sustainability in TLE takes place at the regional or destination level. This makes the measurement of sustainability a regional activity while overshadowing the importance of other enterprises such as hotels that exist at an enterprise level. This entirely downplays the fact that a visitor’s decision to tour a place is informed by the region and the diverse characteristics it holds. The metrics used to measure the economic resources sustainability do not factor in the evolving nature of these resources due to the change in preferences and the technological advancements by the host communities (Wise, 2016).
Proper management of ecological resources as a result of the evaluation of sustainability in Tourism, Leisure, and Event Management activities provides a competitive edge advantage to the different TLEM industry players (Mair& Laing, 2013). Through the evaluation of sustainability in TLE, a balance between the social-cultural, the economic and the ecological growth is identified.
Measuring Sustainable TLE
The sustainability of Tourism, Leisure and Event Management was measured through various TLE sustainability evaluation and management tools namely:
Sustainability impact assessment (Mowforth& Munt, 2016)
This tool was used to assess the potential effects of TLE on the social-cultural, economic and environmental pillars of the Caloundra region. The communities living around the site were asked their views regarding the cultural exchange and borrowing between them and the visitors.
Environmental justice tools (Mowforth& Munt, 2016)
This tool was used to judge whether the communities living around the site are inordinately affected by environmental problems ranging from physical exposures, mental and psychosocial exposures. The residents around the site were asked questions to inquire about their satisfaction on the disaster preparedness of the region and the environmental pollution effects.
Methodology
A questionnaire survey was carried out on a group of 20 sample stakeholders from divergent areas in the region with interest in the TLE activities around the site. The respondents of this survey were required to fill through a form with written open-ended and closed-ended questions. The questions employed in the survey covered the three dimensions of sustainability ranging from environmental, economic and social-cultural issues regarding the area.
Results
From the results of the questionnaire survey, two-thirds of the respondents sampled had mixed thoughts on the environmental sustainability issues facing the region. The other one-third of the respondents felt that the environmental issues facing the region were either natural or man-made. Eighty percent of the respondents felt that the environmental issues facing the region could either be prevented or responsive measures put into place through the establishment of an environmental policy that takes into account all the foreseen and the unforeseen environmental issues.
All the respondents sampled recognized the role played by the revenue generated from the TLE activities around the region with some of them citing examples such as building and equipping of hospitals and schools as one of the ways in which the resident communities have benefited. The hospitality and aviation industry players appreciated the economic value created by TLE activities around the region with the creation of employment opportunities and contribution in the regions GDP being among the given examples.
Discussion of the results
The main goal of sustainable TLE is to make a destination conducive for people to live in and an attractive site for visitors to enjoy as they relax, hold events or adventure(Getz, 2009). First, the economic gains of TLE activities in a region should impact the lives of the local communities in a manner that improves their living standards. Schools and infrastructural projects have developed, property value has appreciated, and job opportunities created in both the private and public sector because of TLE activities in the region of our case study.
For sustainable TLE to be achieved, the social-cultural outcomes due to TLE activities should neither be at the detriment of the local communities or the visitor’s cultural norms and beliefs. The exchange should be a source of adventure and learning. The rise in the social ills around the region as a result of the social interaction between the two groups should be mitigated to ensure that the sustainability of the social-cultural aspect of TLE activities around the region is maintained.
A conducive Tourism, Leisure and Event Management environment not only fosters a positive destination image but also makes the place a better place to work at, live at and run a business. The environmental challenges facing the Caloundra region should be solved through policy development and implementation of the laws and regulations governing the region.
Waste disposal and management measures should be improved to entirely deal with the issue of litters and dirt around the site
The harmful gas emissions from vehicles, locomotives, and planes plying the routes in this region should be regulated. Fuels and the make of the vehicles should be regulated at a certain standard that prevents pollution of air.
Some guiding principle in the code of conduct and ethical moral behavior of the visitors and the locals at the site should be enacted and implemented. This will prevent an exchange of bad social-cultural behaviors and habits from either part (Gallagher & Pike, 2011).
For sustainable TLE to be realized, the balance between economic sustainability, social-cultural sustainability, and environmental sustainability must be achieved. However, to achieve this, a combination of good will from all the stakeholders involved and a strong regulatory and administrative framework must be achieved.
Conclusion
Sustainable Tourism, Leisure and Event requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders. The stakeholders play a vital role in the implementation and success process of sustainable tourism, leisure and event management. From the results of the survey carried out in our case study, it’s clearly evident that the overall sustainability of TLE is embedded and intertwined in the balance between the three-dimensional factors of sustainability. More efficient and reliable results can only be obtained after classifying the indicators at different levels while also taking into account the seasonal variations of different regions.
References
Andersson, T.D. and Lundberg, E., 2013. Commensurability and sustainability: Triple impact assessments of a tourism event. Tourism management, 37, pp.99-109.
Caloundra Chamber of Commerce, 2018. Home – Caloundra Chamber of Commerce, QLD. [online] Caloundrachamber.com.au. Available at: https://www.caloundrachamber.com.au/ [Accessed 20 Oct. 2018].
Gallagher, A. and Pike, K., 2011. Sustainable management for maritime events and festivals. Journal of Coastal Research, pp.158-165.
Getz, D., 2009. Policy for sustainable and responsible festivals and events: Institutionalization of a new paradigm. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 1(1), pp.61-78.
Jordan, E.J., Vogt, C.A., Kruger, L.E. and Grewe, N., 2013. The interplay of governance, power and citizen participation in community tourism planning. Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure and Events, 5(3), pp.270-288.
Lee, T.H., 2013. Influence analysis of community resident support for sustainable tourism development. Tourism management, 34, pp.37-46.
Mair, J. and Laing, J.H., 2013. Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour: the role of sustainability-focused events. Journal of sustainable tourism, 21(8), pp.1113-1128.
Mowforth, M. and Munt, I. 2016. Tourism and sustainability. 4th ed. New York, NY: Routledge, pp.112-124.
Sunshine Coast Council, 2018. Community Profile. [online] Sunshine Coast Council. Available at: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Experience-Sunshine-Coast/Statistics-and-Maps/Community-Profile [Accessed 20 Oct. 2018].
Tanguay, G.A., Rajaonson, J. and Therrien, M.C., 2013. Sustainable tourism indicators: Selection criteria for policy implementation and scientific recognition. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 21(6), pp.862-879.
Tourism and Events Queensland, 2018. Tourism and Events Queensland Corporate Information. [online] Teq.queensland.com. Available at: https://teq.queensland.com/ [Accessed 20 Oct. 2018].
TripHobo, 2018. Caloundra Tourism, Australia | Caloundra Travel Guide & Tips: Triphobo. [online] TripHobo. Available at: https://www.triphobo.com/place/city/51011e93408698104b000000? [Accessed 20 Oct. 2018].
Veal, A. 2017. Research methods for leisure and tourism. 5th ed. London: Pearsons UK, pp.600-640.
Visit Sunshine Coast, 2018. What’s On. [online] Visit Sunshine Coast. Available at: https://www.visitsunshinecoast.com/What-to-do/What-s-On [Accessed 20 Oct. 2018].
Waligo, V.M., Clarke, J. and Hawkins, R., 2013. Implementing sustainable tourism: A multi-stakeholder involvement management framework. Tourism management, 36, pp.342-353.
Wise, N., 2016. Outlining triple bottom line contexts in urban tourism regeneration. Cities, 53, pp.30-34.
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