The Tourism Society - People in all the right places

WILDLIFE TOURISM IN BRITAIN
Future directions, developments and management implications

Recent tourism research in the British Isles reveals a growing interest in seeing Britain’s diverse wildlife. Due to popular media and the ‘Springwatch factor’, tourists are seeking out opportunities to see charismatic and flagship species. Wildlife watching is combined with other tourist activities such as walking, cycling, kayaking, touring, sightseeing and enjoying the natural landscape. Tourists exhibit a range of typologies from the avid enthusiast to those with a passing and casual interest for the day but all require some level of infrastructure development, information provision and careful management in order to reduce potential impacts on habitats and focal species.

The purpose of this event is to provide a forum to discuss the opportunities of this growing tourism sector. Major themes include:

• Market trends
• Wildlife tourism ‘products’ in Britain
• Key stakeholders and their roles
• Provision of wildlife viewing infrastructure
• Providing quality experiences
• Destination marketing
• Visitor management

Programme:

12.30pm -
1.00pm      Registration in The Atrium

1.00pm      Welcome by Keith Wilkes the Dean to the School of
                 Services Management

1.05pm      Susanna Curtin & Adam Blake, Bournemouth University
                 Setting the scene: tourist typologies and behaviour

1.30pm      Phil Evans, National Policy Manager, Visit England

2.00pm      Jamie McMillan and Tim Earl, The Travelling Naturalist

2.30pm      Coffee break in The Retreat

3.00pm      Daniel Turner, Senior Operations Officer -
                 Europe Zoo Check, The Born Free Foundation

3.30pm      Mathew Oates, Nature Conservation Adviser,
                 The National Trust

4.00pm      David Dixon, Regional Co-ordinator for the South West
                 Protected Landscapes Forum   

4.30pm      Open discussion and conclusions

5.15pm      Light buffet and networking in The Retreat