Nature-Based Tourism on the Edge of Urban Development

Abstract

Urban sprawl in Australian cities is threatening a substantial number of pristine environments. Councils in Local Government Areas are attempting to meet the challenge of providing housing for increasing populations and preserving natural resources, many of which have tourism potential. This paper seeks to promote our understanding of the problems of balancing urban growth and the conservation of natural resources using Campbelltown, an outer suburb of Sydney, as a case study. The paper distinguishes five different types of tourists to highlight the appeal of Campbelltown's natural assets to different markets. A Market/Asset matrix is used to show how the existing level of development affects the expectations and needs of each different market. A framework based on the 'ecotourism paradigm' recently formulated by Ross and Wall (1999b) is used to identify the types of relationships which must exist in order for Campbelltown City Council to develop nature - based tourism in the area to its full potential.