When wildlife tourism goes wrong: a case study of stakeholder and management issues regarding Dingoes on Fraser Island, Australia

Images on brochures, web pages and postcards lead to an expectation by tourists and visitors that interaction with Dingoes (Canis lupus Dingo) will be part of their Fraser Island experience. Yet, as the number of tourists to the island increase, so do the reports of Dingo attacks. The first recorded death from such an attack on Fraser Island occurred in April 2001, and was immediately followed by a government-ordered cull of Dingoes. This paper explores issues surrounding both this decision and the management strategies implemented afterwards. Based on interviews with a variety of stakeholders, many conflicting perspectives on human–wildlife interaction as a component of tourism are identified. The conclusion is drawn that while strategies for managing Dingoes are essential, if such attacks are a consequence of humans feeding wildlife and resultant wildlife habituation, then strategies for managing people are also necessary for this example of wildlife tourism to be both successful and sustainable.     

THE UK FOOD CHAIN WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE INTER-RELATIONS BETWEEN MANUFACTURERS AND DISTRIBUTORS

The paper considers developments over the past decade in the major elements that make up the UK food chain beyond the farm gate, looking at food consumption and the characteristics of food demand, the aggregate marketing margin, and providing a more detailed exploration of the present structure of food manufacturing and distribution. Following an account of the rapid rate of structural change in food retailing and wholesaling, developments in the relationships between distributors and manufacturers are discussed with comments on competition legislation.     

Book Reviews

The Economic Impact of Holiday Villages: A Report for the Rural Development Commission. PA Cambridge Economic Consultants. Salisbury: Rural Development Commission, 1991. Pp. 3–35. ISBN 1-869964-19-5 (paper). Reviewed by Jonathan Murdoch

Beyond the Green Horizon: A Discussion Paper on Principles for Sustainable Tourism. Shirley Eber. UK: WWF, 1992. Pp. vi+54. ISBN 0-947613-0 (pbk): free. Reviewed by Peter Ashcroft     

Some people just want to read: The roles of age,interactivity, and perceived usefulness of print in the consumption of digital information products

With the advent of digital technologies, both academic researchers and marketing practitioners alike continually seek a richer understanding of the way information is produced and consumed. Against this backdrop, this study explores the relationship between interactivity, consumer satisfaction and adoption intention in the context of digital information products. Drawing broadly on the services marketing literature, interactivity literature and diffusion theory, the results of our study suggest that in a utilitarian context, consumers are more likely to adopt interactive books than more traditional static e-books. However, satisfaction with interactivity is moderated by the age of the consumer, with older “digital immigrant” participants more satisfied by static e-books and younger “digital native” participants more satisfied by interactive e-books. Also, the less useful consumers find print products, the more likely they will be to adopt interactive digital books, and this effect is also moderated by the age of the consumer. Finally, with the proliferation of digital devices only expected to continue, these findings have important implications for both product development and marketing communication programs.