Tactile landscape: visitors at the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

The cliche 'Take only photographs. Leave only footprints' is employed to raise awareness and minimise visitor impacts on sensitive environments. The Great Barrier Reef is Australia's premier tourist destination and included in the World Heritage List in recognition of its unique physical attributes. It is a location where tourists are strongly encouraged to look rather than touch. Even footprints are forbidden or washed away in this marine environment. But what have we lost in our experiences of the environment? This paper examines sensuous knowledge in visitor understanding and appreciation of the Great Barrier Reef through the twentieth century, and considers how a diminished sense of touch can lead to a loss of place in contemporary tourist experiences.
\n
\n