Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 31 (2017) 142e151

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Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management

journal homepage: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-hospitality-
and-tourism-management

Tourists' preferences with Indigenous tourism experiences in the Wet

Tropics of Queensland, Australia
Anja Pabel*, Bruce Prideaux, Michelle Thompson
School of Business and Law, Central Queensland University, Level 3 Market Square, Corner Abbott and Shields Streets, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: This article reports on visitor interest in Indigenous tourism experiences in the Wet Tropics region of
Received 24 May 2016 Queensland, Australia. The findings are based on a survey sample of 326 tourists departing Cairns. The
Received in revised form aim of this research was to investigate the demand for Indigenous tourism products and experiences. The
10 November 2016
research aim informed three research objectives: to identify the level of interest and participation in
Accepted 29 November 2016
Indigenous tourism experiences; to ascertain if respondents with an interest in Indigenous tourism
Available online 4 January 2017
experiences had different motivations for visiting the Wet Tropics region than those with no interest in
such experiences; and to determine tourists’ purchase behaviour of Indigenous artefacts. The research
Keywords:
Indigenous tourism
profiles Indigenous tourism seekers and respondents with no interest in Indigenous tourism activities.
Demand Results indicate that experiencing Indigenous culture was ranked as neither important nor unimportant
Wet tropics by the two groups of respondents. First-time visitors (87.5%) were significantly more likely to have
Australia participated in an Indigenous tourism activity than repeat visitors to the Wet Tropics. Findings also
Artefacts showed that respondents who were looking to take part in Indigenous tourism experiences showed a
Travel motives high interest in experiencing other nature-based activities. The majority (77.5%) of Indigenous artefacts
were purchased by visitors who did not participate in an Indigenous tourism activity. These findings have
important implications for the development of future Indigenous tourism experiences for the Wet
Tropics.
© 2017 The Authors.

1. Introduction
Tourism experiences based on the exotic otherness of Australia's
Indigenous cultures have been promoted by the nation's tourism
industry as a strategy to differentiate its tourism offering in the
highly competitive international market (Sofield, 2002; Tourism
Research Australia [TRA], 2011). With an estimated 40,000 signifi-
cant Aboriginal sites (Sofield, 2002), Australia has a rich assemblage
of Indigenous culture including oral histories, artefacts, rock art and
dance. A number of Indigenous communities have sought to capi-
talise on interest in their culture by promoting tourism as a vehicle
to attract development and generate jobs (Wu, Wall, & Tsou, 2014).
Many of these communities are located in regional areas and face
significant problems related to access, investment and marketing.
Moreover, opportunities to develop Indigenous tourism are over-
shadowed as research by Tourism Research Australia (2011) found
* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: a.pabel@cqu.edu.au (A. Pabel), b.prideaux@cqu.edu.au
(B. Prideaux), m.thompson@cqu.edu.au (M. Thompson).
that the demand for Indigenous tourism activities has been in
decline since 2006. This indicates that at least in Australia, the
perceived attractiveness of Indigenous tourism experiences as a
destination pull factor has been either overestimated or that the
products on offer are not those that interest tourists. It also in-
dicates the need to understand the preferences that tourists have
for Indigenous products (McIntosh, 2004; Pettersson, 2002) in
relation to the totality of available experiences that a particular
destination has on offer.
To date, the positioning of Indigenous tourism products and
experiences within the total suite available at destinations has been
largely ignored in the literature. For this reason the aim of this
research is to investigate the demand for Indigenous tourism
products and experiences in the Wet Tropics region of Queensland,
Australia by treating Indigenous tourism as a subset of the total
suite of tourism experiences available within the destination. The
justification of selecting the Wet Tropics region is based on its
overall popularity as a tourism destination, its rich Indigenous
culture and apparent failure to develop its tourism experiences
based on its Indigenous culture. In terms of Ritchie and Crouch’s

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2016.11.004
1447-6770/© 2017 The Authors.
 A. Pabel et al. / Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 31 (2017) 142e151
(2003) concept of destination competitiveness, the region's Indig-
enous culture represents a comparative advantage that still awaits
its transformation into a competitive advantage.
2. Literature review
2.1. Defining Indigenous tourism
Indigenous tourism can be described from a number of per-
spectives including cultural tourism (Smith, 2003), niche or special
interest tourism (Schmiechen & Boyle, 2007) and serious tourism
(Wu et al., 2014). Tourism Research Australia (2011, p. 1) described
tourists who are interested in Indigenous tourism as individuals
“who participate in at least one Indigenous tourism activity during
their trip which can be a one-off activity, or in addition to other
tourism activities.” Other descriptions of tourism activities that
involve at least some contact with Indigenous peoples include
Butler and Hinch (1996, p. 9) who refer to Indigenous tourism as
“tourism activity in which Indigenous people are directly involved
either through control and/or by having their culture serve as the
essence of the attraction.” From a different perspective, Notzke
(2004, p. 31) describes Aboriginal tourism as enterprises “which
are characterised by Aboriginal ownership and control” while
acknowledging that this ownership does not necessarily have to
focus on exhibiting Aboriginal culture. As Wu et al. (2014) noted the
organisation of Indigenous tourism may vary, ranging from activ-
ities where Indigenous tourism forms the core of the experience to
activities that include a small Indigenous component. A similar
remark can be made about ownership, with businesses that are
solely Indigenous owned to partnerships where Indigenous com-
munities have a minority ownership.
Tourism ventures that incorporate an Indigenous component
require careful planning and management to avoid or reduce the
negative effects that involvement with tourism activity may have
on the quality of life of Indigenous communities (Altman &
Finlayson, 1992). Negative impacts identified by Fuller, Buultjens,
and Cummings (2005) include environmental damage, potential
cultural clashes due to different value systems, tourism activities
intruding into Indigenous lives and the relating invasion of privacy.
There can also be negative impacts on biodiversity (Kiss, 2004).
Barriers to the ongoing success of Indigenous tourism ventures
include limited opportunities in forming partnerships with other
tour operators, limited participation in appropriate training (Coria
& Calfucura, 2012) and unfamiliarity with the tourism distribu-
tion system (Rodrigues & Prideaux, under review). As Fuller et al.
(2005) observed, the ideal situation is where Indigenous tourism
experiences are designed to promote opportunities that lead to
sustainable development.
Previous studies related to aspects of Indigenous tourism have
generally focused on issues that include: identifying characteristics
of individuals who seek Indigenous tourism experiences (Moscardo
& Pearce, 1999; Ruhanen, Whitford, & McLennan, 2013); addressing
information needs that lead to improved Indigenous tourism
products and experiences (Notzke, 2004; Ryan & Huyton, 2002);
description and discussion of Indigenous activities such as guiding
(Howard, Thwaites, & Smith, 2001); festivals (Chang, 2006; Mason,
2004); learning about Indigenous peoples’ past and history
(Moscardo & Pearce, 1999; Zeppel, 2002); wildlife tourism, village
tours, cultural tours and treks (Whitford & Ruhanen, 2009); the sale
of artefacts and economic considerations such as self-sufficiency
(Altman, Hunter, Ward, & Wright, 2002; Ryan & Huyton, 1998;
Smith, 1996); and capacity-building (Whitford & Ruhanen, 2010).
Furthermore, a new area of research is emerging which attempts to
de-marginalise research on Indigenous tourism by including con-
siderations of Indigenous peoples as tourists (Peters & Higgins-
143
Desbiolles, 2012) and by considering the voices and presence of
Indigenous researchers within Indigenous tourism (Nielsen &
Wilson, 2012).
Examples of studies into aspects of Indigenous tourism experi-
ences undertaken by Notzke (1999) found that authenticity in
terms of learning about Indigenous peoples' daily lives was seen by
tourists as an important criteria for assessing the quality of their
experience. When participants were asked what the best part of
their Indigenous tourism experience was, over half of the re-
spondents (54%) considered their personal encounter with native
people to be their highlight and the majority (77%) stated they
wanted to find out more about the peoples' everyday life (Notzke,
1999). In a later study, Notzke (2004) found that the most impor-
tant characteristics of Indigenous tourism experiences were:
authenticity (64%); learning something about people's lifestyles
(45%); native owned and operated (38%); price (17%) and enter-
tainment (12%). Neither of these studies sought to place Indigenous
tourism within the overall demand for tourism experiences in the
destinations studied.
One area of Indigenous tourism research that has generated
some interest by academics is guided tours. In a study of the effects
of participating in a guided tour with an Indigenous tour guide,
Howard et al. (2001) found that participation in a tour of this type
can positively influence tourists’ perceptions and attitudes of
Aboriginal culture. Guided tours also produce benefits for local
Indigenous communities where these tours take place. As Howard
et al. (2001, p. 33) observed, guided tours generate “employment,
keeping people close to their community and country, providing
management with local knowledge, skills and traditional practices
that benefit local biodiversity”.
Other studies (Howard, Smith & Thwaites, 2001; Collard,
Harben, & van den Berg, 2007; Butler & Hinch, 2007) have exam-
ined the cultural exchanges between tourists and Indigenous tour
guides in Australia, where Indigenous guides expressing and
interpreting their own cultural heritage through their own stories
offer tourists an authentic cultural experience. Tourists partici-
pating in these types of experiences benefit from being “immedi-
ately thrust into the context of the site because the guide is part of
the fabric of the experience” (Howard et al., 2001, p. 38). Tours of
sacred sites conducted by Indigenous peoples can be highly
emotional experiences (Trauer & Ryan, 2005). In their research in
Mutawintji National Park, New South Wales in Australia, Howard
et al. (2001) found that Aboriginal tour guides often used their
traditional language when talking about plants and animals or
when explaining Aboriginal concepts through analogies and met-
aphors. An example from their research is that of comparing
Mutawintji National Park to a cathedral which helps visitors to gain
awe and respect for the place.
Sounds and dance can also be important elements in developing
Indigenous tourism experiences. Mason (2004) explored Aboriginal
representations in musical experiences of First Nations people in
Ottawa, Canada and found that the sounds of the musical perfor-
mances can be used to interpret Aboriginal cultural heritage and
meaning to non-Indigenous people. According to Henke (2005)
Indigenous music can also be used as a tourist icon which can be
utilised in tourism promotion to encourage travel to the location
where a particular type of music is unique to a specific Indigenous
culture. Other cultural performances involving music, as well as
dance and theatre, are also frequently used for tourist encounters.
These performances represent an important means of conveying
Indigenous meanings while generating economic opportunities for
communities. In this way Indigenous cultural festivals are a
powerful mechanism for promoting the uniqueness of local Indig-
enous culture (Chang, 2006). Cultural heritage tourism has been
approached by Naidu (2011) as an artefact in its own right based on
144 A. Pabel et al. / Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 31 (2017) 142e151
the idea that cultural heritage is engrained in a specific local place
and as such able to attract tourists because of its qualities of
uniqueness.
2.2. Selling of Indigenous artefacts
Tourism has the potential to provide economic opportunities for
Indigenous peoples including Australia's Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people. Economic opportunities include direct
involvement in tourism through employment, indirect involve-
ment in tourism through the arts and crafts industry as well as joint
ventures in cultural tourism activities with non-Indigenous people
(Altman & Finlayson, 1992). Indigenous ecotourism in particular
can be beneficial for Indigenous communities by empowering
them, protecting biodiversity and improving the livelihood of
community members (Coria & Calfucura, 2012). One area where
economic benefits can be derived from tourism is through the sale
of Indigenous handicrafts and art. However the commercialisation
of Indigenous handicraft raises the issue of commodification and a
range of questions around this issue (Dyer, Aberdeen, & Schuler,
2003). While important, it is not the intent of this paper to
explore the questions that surround commodification in a general
way, but specifically as it pertains to the central objectives of this
paper which focus on examining the demand for Indigenous
tourism products and experiences in the Wet Tropics region.
Cohen (1993) has previously commented on the commerciali-
sation of Indigenous artefacts pointing to trends towards giantism,
where cultural products, such as paintings are produced as very
large mural type art or miniaturisation, where Indigenous themes
are reproduced on small items such as souvenir spoons or pens.
Other products such as t-shirts may also utilise Indigenous themes
but many are the output of non-Indigenous groups seeking to
capitalise on the demand for cheap souvenirs that appear to have
an apparent connection to Indigenous culture (Smith, 1996).
In Australia, the diversity of Indigenous cultures is such that
there are considerable differences. These differences relate to how
Indigenous peoples connect to their country, for example there are
‘saltwater people’ living on the coast or ‘freshwater’, ‘rainforest’,
‘desert’ or ‘spinifex’ people who live in these ecological environ-
ments (AIATSIS, 2016). Despite this diversity, cultural products
appear to be perceived as reasonably homogenous regardless of
where they are sold (Ruhanen et al., 2013). This can pose problems
for Indigenous communities in remote regions because they are not
seen as offering experiences that differ from those available in areas
of high tourism concentration such as metropolitan cities. Despite
these problems, artefacts and souvenirs produced by Indigenous
artists represent an important income source for many Indigenous
communities (Ryan & Huyton, 1998; Smith, 1996). Although the
national economic value of Indigenous arts is difficult to establish
due to a lack of comprehensive data, Altman et al.’s (2002)
approximation was between AU$100 and AU$300 million dollars
for the sales of Indigenous visual arts. Others estimate the industry
was worth between AU$400 and AU$500 million (Commonwealth
of Australia, 2007).
2.3. Perceptions of Indigenous tourism
Ruhanen, Whitford & McLennan‘s (2013) research on Indige-
nous tourism in Australia found that there was an issue with
product awareness and promotion. They asked respondents about
awareness, preference and intention to undertake Indigenous
tourism experiences and found that tourists had reasonably low
awareness of Indigenous tourism products (20%). The figures were
even lower for preference (12%) and intention (2%) to undertake
Indigenous tourism experiences. In relation to the Wet Tropics
study region, research by Prideaux, Sakata, and Thompson (2012)
examined annual patterns of reef and rainforest tourism in North
Queensland. They asked respondents to rate the importance for a
number of travel motivations on a scale from 1 (not at all impor-
tant) to 5 (very important). The travel motive for experiencing
Indigenous culture decreased from 3.16 in 2007 to 2.85 in 2012.
Indigenous tourism operators interviewed by Ruhanen et al.
(2013) indicated that low participation in particular in relation to
the domestic market was due to ‘racism/negative preconceptions’
and ‘negative media attention’. A study by Ryan and Huyton (2002)
on tourists visiting central Australia found that attractions with a
focus on Australian Aboriginal culture were perceived to be less
popular than previously thought. Figures by Tourism Research
Australia (TRA) exemplify this claim. The number of international
Indigenous tourism visitors declined from 842,000 in 2006 to
689,000 in 2010, which represents a decline of
4.9% (TRA, 2011).
These visitor figures correspond with a decline in total nights spent
in Australia for international Indigenous tourism visitors from 42
million nights in 2006 to 38 million nights in 2010. The demand for
Indigenous tourism experiences was especially low for the do-
mestic market. Since 2006, domestic overnight Indigenous tourism
visitors have decreased from 700,000 in 2006 to 306,000 in 2010,
representing a decline of 18.7% (TRA, 2011). A drop was also re-
ported for domestic visitor nights by 23%, while total expenditure
has decreased on average each year by 21%. This could indicate that
domestic tourists do not regard Indigenous cultural experiences as
a key domestic travel product but rather consider them as one
aspect of a larger array of available natural and cultural Australian
travel experiences (Ryan & Huyton, 2000).
In relation to the international market, Buultjens and White
(2008) found that the majority of international visitors (between
60% and 80%), although interested in and having previously
participated in an Indigenous tourism activity, reported having
seen very little advertising. Ruhanen et al. (2013) also found that a
lack of promotional material appeared to be one cause for the low
level of participation in Indigenous tourism experiences. A further
finding was that respondents perceived little differentiation be-
tween Indigenous product offerings and therefore viewed them as
being rather homogenous. Willingness to pay seemed to be another
issue with respondents preferring Indigenous activities to be either
‘free’ or willing to pay no more than AU$100 for full day tour op-
tions (Ruhanen et al., 2013).
Research by Kutzner, Wright, and Stark (2009) asked partici-
pants to rank 31 Indigenous tourism products according to several
activities, topics and experiences. The top three activities for par-
ticipants were ‘woodcarving’, ‘collecting plants to eat’ and ‘outdoor
survival.’ The most popular tourism topics were ‘animal and plant
life of the region’, ‘stories and legends of Aboriginal culture’ and
‘Aboriginal history post-European contact’. Finally, the most
preferred experiences were identified as ‘taking photos of scenic
landscapes or wildlife’, ‘demonstrations by artisans of artefacts’,
and ‘drumming and dance performances.’ Understanding the types
of activities, experiences and even artefacts tourists are interested
in is important in the development and management of Indigenous
tourism experiences. This understanding ensures the products
offered are of interest to tourists, which in turn can encourage
higher levels of demand through participation and satisfaction.
An interesting finding was made by Kutzner et al. (2009) with
Indigenous tourism in Canada, in which respondents’ previous
experience was positively associated with an interest in more
Indigenous experiences. They implied from this that “visitors need
a type of introductory experience to Aboriginal culture in order to
later engage in in-depth cultural experiences” (Kutzner et al., 2009,
p. 112). Similarly, research conducted by Moscardo and Pearce
(1999) found that close to half of their sample (43%) had
 A. Pabel et al. / Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 31 (2017) 142e151
previously participated in tourism experiences based on Indige-
nous cultures in other countries. This was suggested as a more
effective approach in segmenting the Indigenous tourism market. It
was therefore recommended to provide repeat visitors with diverse
and in-depth Indigenous experiences while first-timers should be
enticed with interesting introductory experiences (Kutzner et al.,
2009).
2.4. Indigenous tourism experiences in the Wet Tropics region of
Queensland
The Wet Tropics describes the coastal rainforest region located
in the northern part of Queensland stretching over 450 km from
south of Cooktown to near Townsville (WTMA, 2015). Fig. 1 shows a
map of the region. This region is the home to the Rainforest
Aboriginal people (‘Rainforest Bama’) who are divided into 18 tribal
groups with ongoing traditional connections to their ancient
homeland (WTMA, 2012).
The declaration of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area
(WTWHA) in 1988 and the inclusion of Rainforest Bama on the board
of the Wet Tropics Management Authority (WTMA), which manages
the World Heritage property, has provided the stimulus for a number
of Indigenous groups and individuals to invest in the tourism in-
dustry. In Cairns, the main gateway to the Wet Tropics region, the
Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park represents the traditions of the
Djabugay people while the more recent venture by the Kuku Yalanji
in the Mossman Gorge area has achieved a high level of success. For
the Kuku Yalanji, nature and culture are viewed as one entity where
“the stories of the Dreamtime and the spirits of the rainforest are
interwoven with information on medicinal plants, fruits, and ‘bush
tucker’ (food), how to make a bark wurun (shelter), and how to make
paint for ceremonial purposes” (Sofield, 2002, p. 122).
A number of smaller Indigenous owned businesses operate
commercial tours and art galleries in the Wet Tropics. Table 1 il-
lustrates the wide range of Indigenous tours available in the region.
In terms of art galleries, the significance of being able to participate
in the tourism industry is demonstrated by the results of an audit of
Indigenous art sales at Aboriginal art centres in Far North
Queensland. In 2011, total sales were $6,375,034 (Ninti One Limited,
2013). Paintings dominated the art sales followed by other products
such as carving, weaving, sculpture and printmaking.
The Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park in Cairns has attracted the
attention of a number of researchers including Moscardo and
Pearce (1998), Zeppel (1998), and Dyer et al. (2003). Moscardo
and Pearce’s (1998) research was focused on tourists' satisfaction
at the cultural park. Zeppel (1998) argued that simplifying or
otherwise adjusting dance performances to appeal to tourists made
the Tjapukai Cultural Park a somewhat inauthentic experience.
Dyer et al. (2003) identified a range of advantages and disadvan-
tages of the park to the Djabugay people. Advantages included the
creation of employment opportunities; revival and improved un-
derstanding of the Djabugay culture; and improved material wel-
fare. Disadvantages were identified as degradation of Djabugay
culture and minimal interactions between tourists and the Djabu-
gay community members.
The adverse aspects of commodification of the Djabugay culture
observed by Zeppel (1998) raises a number of questions for Indig-
enous communities investing in attractions of this type. Without
commodification the experience may hold little interest to visitors,
while adhering to authenticity may result in a lack of appeal. In
relation to this issue, Prideaux and Timothy (2008) introduced the
concept of the ‘new authentic’ where the economic role of artefacts
was ascribed a greater significance than the cultural values. While a
vexed question that has occupied the attention of scholars for de-
cades and undoubtedly will continue to attract their attention into
145
the future, an observation by Crick (1989) holds some options for
dealing with authenticity in a tourism context. Crick (1989) wrote
that authenticity is a subjective concept which for participating
tourists means forming their own views on what authenticity
means for them. How tourists create this meaning is very much
dependent on their previous exposure to experiences of a similar
kind. Ryan and Huyton (2002) also considered authenticity as
questionable since there are relatively few tourists searching for
‘reality’ while the majority of tourists are motivated by having a
great time during their holiday. For these reasons, and given the
context of the staged representations depicted in the Tjapukai
Aboriginal Cultural Park, tourists might have some awareness of
this level of authenticity.
The preceding review of literature highlights a number of issues
that require further research. In particular there are few studies
that attempt to place Indigenous tourism within the total desti-
nation experience. As with many other forms of special interest
tourism (SIT), Indigenous tourism has often been studied in isola-
tion. However the reality is that like most forms of SIT, Indigenous
tourism activities usually form one element of a broader range of
experiences available in a destination. To understand the role that
Indigenous tourism may play as one of the many activities that
comprise the totality of a destination's experiences, it is useful to
compare and contrast the demand for Indigenous tourism with
other aspects of the total destination experience. This research at-
tempts to fill this gap by seeking to gain a better understanding of
tourists' interest and participation in Indigenous tourism experi-
ences as part of their overall tourism experience. To understand the
role of Indigenous tourism experiences within the broader frame-
work of tourism in the Wet Tropics region, three research objec-
tives were developed to:
- Identify the level of interest and participation in Indigenous
tourism experiences
- Ascertain if respondents with an interest in Indigenous tourism
experiences had different motivations for visiting the Wet Tro-
pics region than those with no interest in such experiences
- Categorise visitors' purchase behaviour of Indigenous artefacts
for visitors in the Wet Tropics.
3. Material and methods
A descriptive, explanatory research approach was adopted to
identify the demand for Indigenous tourism experiences. The sur-
vey instrument (a self-administered questionnaire) used to collect
data was part of a longer running survey that has been monitoring
aspects of tourism in the study region for many years. The ques-
tionnaire featured three sections: questions related to respondents'
socio-demographic profile; motivations for visiting the region; and
specific questions that probed respondents' participation in and
views on Indigenous tourism. General items relating to Indigenous
tourism were drawn from the literature while a smaller number of
region specific questions were based on the authors’ observations
of tourism in the study region. The survey was administered at the
domestic terminal of the Cairns International Airport between
March and May 2014.
Trained survey staff used a convenience sampling approach to
distribute the questionnaires. Passengers were approached by sur-
vey staff and asked if they were interested in participating. A filter
question was used to ensure that local residents were not included
in the survey. Having approached 360 visitors (both domestic and
international) to the region, a total of 326 valid questionnaires were
received giving a response rate of 91%. As with any survey of this
nature there were a number of limitations that need to be brought to
the attention of readers. The study was not designed to report on
146 A. Pabel et al. / Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 31 (2017) 142e151

Fig. 1. Map of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area (Map courtesy of the Wet Tropics Management Authority).
 A. Pabel et al. / Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 31 (2017) 142e151 147

Table 1 16.3% said ‘Yes’, another 35.4% replied ‘Sometimes’, and the
Indigenous experiences in the Wet Tropics region. remaining 48.3% stated ‘No’. Those respondents who replied ‘Yes’ or
Location Type of tourism operation ‘Sometimes’ to looking for Indigenous tourism opportunities were
ex Cairns Daintree Cooktown - The Bama Way
combined into one group and were identified as Indigenous
1 Day Aboriginal Rock Art Tour tourism experience seekers. This group comprised 51.7% of the
Daintree Dreaming Day Tour sample, or a subset of 152 tourists, and is the basis of much of the
ex Port Douglas Dreamtime Rainforest Walk further analysis. Table 2 outlines the demographic profiles of
ex Mossman Mossman Gorge Interpretive Walk
Indigenous tourism experience seekers (n ¼ 152) and non-
Kuku-Yalanji Dreamtime Tours
ex Daintree Walkabout Cultural Adventures Indigenous tourism seekers (n ¼ 142).
ex Cooktown Rainbow Serpent Rock Art Tour Statistically significant results are marked with a star in Table 2.
ex Tully Indigenous Guided Kayak Tour Indigenous experience seekers appeared to be more highly
Source: Aboriginal Australia (2015) http://www.aboriginalaustralia.com.au/tours/ educated with more respondents stating that they had a degree
(46.9%) compared to respondents with no interest in Indigenous
experiences. A significant difference was also found for visitation
overall visitor numbers to the region and as the questionnaire was
pattern where Indigenous experience seekers were more likely to
distributed in English only, responses are representative of English-
be first-time visitors (82.9%). Information sources such as guide-
speaking participants only. Moreover the survey did not include the
book (36.2%) and travel agents (23.0%) appear to be more
views of tourists who departed the region by car, bus or cruise ship.
frequently utilised by Indigenous experience seekers.
Hence, this limits the extent to which this research can be gener-
alised beyond the study area and care should be taken if results are
generalised beyond the reported sample. 4.2. Interest level and participation in Indigenous tourism
The data was analysed using SPSS version 22. Non-parametric experiences
tests such as Chi-square and Mann-Whitney were used to analyse
the data. These tests are used more frequently when no assumptions The first research objective was to identify whether respondents
are made about the underlying population distribution and when were interested in Indigenous tourism experiences and their actual
data are mostly measured on categorical and ordinal scales (Pallant, level of participation in these types of activities. A Chi-square test
2007), as was the case in this study. The Chi-square test explores the for independence indicated a significant association between visi-
relationship between two categorical variables, while the Mann- tors who are interested in Indigenous tourism activities and visitors
Whitney tests for differences between two independent groups. who did in fact participate in an Indigenous tourism experience on
their trip to the Wet Tropics, c2 (2, n ¼ 294) ¼ 32.5, p ¼ 0.000.
4. Results The association indicated that tourists with an interest in
Indigenous tourism experiences (45.2%) were more likely to actu-
4.1. Profile of all respondents and Indigenous experience seekers ally participate in an Indigenous tourism activity than people with
no interest (11.5%). Another significant association was established
All respondents (n ¼ 326) were asked whether they looked for between first-time visitors to the region and respondents who
opportunities to participate in Indigenous tourism experiences were interested in taking part in Indigenous tourism activities, c2
when on holidays. Of the 294 valid responses for this question, (2, n ¼ 294) ¼ 15.1, p ¼ 0.001. Specifically, looking for Indigenous

Table 2
Demographic profiles of Indigenous tourism seekers and respondents with no interest in Indigenous tourism.

Demographic profile Indig Exp Seekers (n ¼ 152) No interest (n ¼ 142) Travel behaviour Indig Exp Seekers (n ¼ 152) No interest (n ¼ 142)

Gender Travel composition

Female 64.7% 53.9% Couple 43.7% 51.8%
Male 35.3% 46.1% Friends 29.1% 18.4%
Age groups Family with children 8.6% 12.8%
Under 20 yrs 9.3% 6.4% Alone 8.6% 9.2%
20-29 yrs 39.7% 34.0% Tour group 6.0% 4.3%
30-39 yrs 15.9% 11.3% Visitation pattern
40-49 yrs 6.6% 10.6% First-timers * 82.9% 63.4%
50-59 yrs 9.9% 18.4% Repeat visitors 17.1% 36.6%
60-65 yrs 7.9% 11.3% Accommodation
Over 65 years 10.6% 7.8% Resort/hotel 37.6% 46.4%
Origin Backpacker hostel 36.2% 26.4%
Australia 21.7% 46.8% Holiday unit 14.1% 14.3%
New Zealand 0.7% 2.8% Friends/relatives 2.0% 6.4%
North America 27.6% 14.9% Information source
South America 1.3% 0.7% Friends/relatives 44.1% 43.7%
Germany 13.8% 13.5% Internet 40.8% 42.3%
UK & Ireland 17.1% 10.6% Guidebooks * 36.2% 19.0%
Scandinavia 4.6% 4.3% Travel agents * 23.0% 14.1%
Europe other 9.2% 4.3% Most time spent
Asia 3.3% 1.4% Cairns 73.3% 60.0%
Education Port Douglas 16.7% 23.6%
Secondary 23.1% 26.1% Palm Cove 4.0% 7.9%
Trade qualification 5.4% 14.1%
Diploma 12.9% 16.2%
Degree * 46.9% 33.8%
Other 11.6% 9.9%

Note: * Pearson Chi-Square test significant at p < 0.05.

148 A. Pabel et al. / Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 31 (2017) 142e151

Table 3 Table 4
Indigenous tourism experiences in the Wet Tropics region. Mean differences between Indigenous experience seekers and non-Indigenous
tourism seekers.
Indigenous experience Description n
Travel motives Indigenous No interest
Kuranda Kuranda Village, Rainforestation Nature Park 10
experience seekers
Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, cultural centre, dance 7
Mossman Mossman Gorge Dreamtime walk 6 Overall rank Mean Mean
Tour operator Reef Daytripper, Tropic Wings, Ocean Freedom 3
Visit the Great Barrier Reef 1 4.46 4.11
Snorkelling & diving 2 4.09 3.7
Experience the natural environment 3 3.96 3.66
tourism opportunities was more important for respondents who See Australian wildlife 4 3.8 3.41
Rest and relax 5 3.8 4.14
visited the region for the first time (87.5%) than those who had Visit the Wet Tropics rainforest 6 3.74 3.46
previously visited the region (12.5%). A similar result was found in Climate 7 3.71 3.64
regards to actual participation in Indigenous tourism experiences. Enjoy the tropical lifestyle 8 3.67 3.61
First-time visitors (85.7%) were significantly more likely to partic- Learn about the natural environment 9 3.65 3.01
Adventure activities 10 3.61 3.36
ipate in such an activity than visitors who had been to the Wet
The price matched my budget 11 3.6 3.43
Tropics region before (14.3%), c2 (1, n ¼ 325) ¼ 4.2, p ¼ 0.041. Visit the beaches 12 3.58 3.5
When Indigenous tourism experience seekers (n ¼ 152) were Visit the region's national parks 13 3.52 3.16
asked what type of Indigenous tourism they looked for, 71% Visit a World Heritage Area 14 3.51 3.13
preferred elements of cultural history, followed by food (56%), art Experience Indigenous culture 15 3.16 2.59
Experience life in a tropical city 16 3.1 3.03
(50%), festivals (42%) and dance (24%). Although this group re-
Spend time with my family 17 2.76 3.11
ported looking for opportunities to participate, not all actually Experience the outback 18 2.66 2.6
engaged in an Indigenous activity while in the study region. Only Go shopping 19 2.43 2.44
13% (or 42 respondents) of the entire sample (n ¼ 326) actually Visit friends and relatives 20 2.28 2.36
participated in an Indigenous tourism experience on their trip to
the Wet Tropics during the time the survey was administered.
Results in Table 3 show where respondents undertook Indigenous between respondents who had actually participated in an Indige-
experiences in the Wet Tropics region, including attractions based nous tourism activity and those who had not. Table 6 details all the
on activities such as dance and boomerang throwing, and tours output that showed significant differences. Respondents who
with commercial tour operators. Although 42 respondents reported actually participated in an Indigenous tourism experience were
participating in an Indigenous activity, fewer expressed where also significantly more likely to be interested in other nature-based
these activities were undertaken (hence Table 3 shows n ¼ 26). The activities on offer in the region such as visiting the Wet Tropics
majority of tourists who participated in an Indigenous tourism rainforest, seeing Australian wildlife, experiencing the outback and
experience rated it good (81%) or fair (14%). Less than 5% rated their learning about the natural environment. Two significant results for
experience as poor or awful. respondents who had not participated in an Indigenous tourism
experience showed higher mean ranks for motives such as rest and
4.3. Differences in travel motives for Indigenous experience seekers relaxation and visiting the beach. This finding clearly indicates a
vs non-Indigenous experience seekers different market segment that is more motivated to visit the Wet
Tropics for relaxation and its scenic beaches than its Indigenous
The second research objective was to establish whether re- and nature-based activities.
spondents with an interest in Indigenous tourism experiences
differed from those with no interest in Indigenous tourism experi- 4.4. Purchase behaviour of Indigenous artefacts
ences in terms of their motives for visiting the Wet Tropics region.
Results are shown in Table 4. Each respondent was asked to rank 20 The third research objective was to establish respondents' pur-
travel motives for visiting the region from 1 (not at all important) to 5 chase behaviour of Indigenous artefacts, with 12% of all re-
(very important). For Indigenous tourism seekers visiting the Great spondents (n ¼ 326) having made a purchase. Interestingly, only
Barrier Reef (4.46) was the top motivation, followed by snorkelling 22.5% of those who purchased an artefact also participated in an
and diving (4.09) and experiencing the natural environment (3.96). Indigenous tourism experience. The majority (77.5%) of purchases
Experiencing Indigenous culture was ranked as neither important were made by visitors who did not participate in an Indigenous
nor unimportant, with a mean ranking of 3.16. Unsurprisingly, this tourism activity. The most popular artefacts were boomerangs
mean was even lower for respondents who were not looking for (67.5%), followed by Indigenous art (37.5%), clothing (20%) and
opportunities to participate in Indigenous tourism activities (2.59). didgeridoos (2.5%). The majority of respondents who made a pur-
A Mann-Whitney U test was run to reveal any significant dif- chase stated it was either very important (47%) or important (38%)
ferences in travel motives between the two groups of respondents. that the Indigenous product was made locally, while 15% indicated
Table 5 shows all output that revealed significant differences. It this was not important to them. When asked if they would be
became apparent that Indigenous experience seekers were signif- willing to pay more for locally made Indigenous products, 38.5%
icantly more likely to be motivated by other nature-based activities stated ‘Yes’, while another 42.5% indicated ‘Maybe’, and 19% were
on offer in the region, such as experiencing the natural environ- not willing to pay more for locally produced artefacts.
ment, visiting a World Heritage Area, learning about the natural Purchases of artefacts were significantly more likely to be made
environment, visiting the Great Barrier Reef, visiting the Wet Tro- by first-time visitors (95%) than visitors who had been to the Wet
pics rainforest and seeing Australian wildlife. One significant result Tropics before (5%), c2 (1, n ¼ 325) ¼ 11.5, p ¼ 0.001. A significant
for respondents who were not interested in Indigenous tourism association was also found between gender and the importance that
experiences showed a higher mean rank for the motive of rest and Indigenous artefacts were made locally, c2 (2, n ¼ 73) ¼ 8.3, p ¼ 0.016.
relaxation. In this research, it was more important to female respondents (67.6%)
A further Mann-Whitney U test was run to reveal any significant than male respondents (32.4%) that the artefacts were locally made.
differences in travel motives for visiting the Wet Tropics region A Chi-square test for independence indicated a significant
 A. Pabel et al. / Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 31 (2017) 142e151 149

Table 5
Significant differences in travel motives for respondents with an interest in Indigenous tourism activities.

Travel motive Mann-Whitney U Z Sig (2-tailed) Interest in Indigenous tourism

Yes (mean) No (mean)

Visit the Great Barrier Reef 8600.000
2.828 0.005 4.46 4.11
Visit the Wet Tropics rainforest 8034.000
2.282 0.022 3.74 3.46
See Australian wildlife 7682.000
3.145 0.002 3.8 3.41
Experience the natural environment 7810.500
3.042 0.002 3.96 3.66
Snorkel and dive 8291.500
2.336 0.019 4.09 3.7
Visit the region's national parks 7621.500
3.132 0.002 3.52 3.16
Visit a World Heritage Area 7969.500
3.057 0.002 3.51 3.13
Learn about the natural environment 6300.000
5.382 0.000 3.65 3.01
Rest and relax 8271.500
2.871 0.004 3.8 4.14

Table 6
Significant differences in travel motives for respondents who did and did not participate in Indigenous tourism experiences.

Travel motive Mann-Whitney U Z Sig (2-tailed) Participation in Indigenous tourism

Yes (mean) No (mean)

Visit the Wet Tropics rainforest 4198.000
2.021 0.043 3.93 3.53
See Australian wildlife 3874.000
2.223 0.026 4.00 3.55
Experience the Outback 4041.000
2.110 0.035 2.98 2.57
Learn about the natural environment 3859.000
2.622 0.009 3.71 3.27
Rest and relax 4038.500
2.559 0.011 3.61 4.02
Visit the beach 3914.500
2.269 0.023 3.15 3.61

association between visitors showing an interest in Indigenous
tourism activities and visitors who purchased Indigenous artefacts,
c2 (2, n ¼ 294) ¼ 13.8, p ¼ 0.001. Visitors with an interest in Indig-
enous experiences (25.6%) were more likely to purchase an Indige-
nous artefact than those with no interest (14.9%).
5. Discussion
This research investigated the demand for Indigenous tourism
products and experiences in the Wet Tropics region of Australia. A
better understanding was gained of the Indigenous tourism market
attracted to the Wet Tropics, not merely in terms of respondents’
interest and participation in Indigenous tourism activities but also
in terms of their overall travel motives for visiting the region.
Consequently, this study makes an important contribution by
informing Indigenous tourism stakeholders and destination mar-
keters about possible pathways for the development of future
Indigenous tourism activities and experiences.
This research showed that as a travel motive, Indigenous
tourism experiences were not considered a top priority by re-
spondents visiting the region. With a mean of 3.16, these experi-
ences were ranked as neither important nor unimportant. This
finding concurs with previous studies conducted on Indigenous
tourism (Ruhanen et al., 2013; Ryan & Huyton, 2002). In the case of
this research, the demographic variables were in fact very similar to
that of Ryan and Huyton (2002) who established that tourists
interested in Indigenous tourism experiences are often female,
younger, better educated and more likely to be from North America
and (Northern) Europe. Having knowledge of such demographic
profiles can inform strategic marketing activities.
In terms of the 20 travel motives for visiting the Wet Tropics
region, the findings showed that ‘experiencing Indigenous culture’
was ranked 15 by the Indigenous experience seekers and rank 18
for non-Indigenous tourism seekers (see Table 4). This finding is
similar to previous research into the importance of Aboriginal
culture as a travel motive. For example, Ryan and Huyton (2002)
stated that one reason for the relatively low importance is that
tourists may perceive Aboriginal people to be part of the overall
Australian landscape e one of an array of tourism experiences to
choose from. Although it is difficult to definitively ascertain
whether this or other factors influenced tourists' travel motives, it
is likely a contributing factor given the sample comprised one third
domestic tourists. Previous research (Coghlan & Prideaux, 2012;
Thompson & Prideaux, 2012) has indicated other reasons why
Indigenous culture may not be regarded as a main motivating travel
factor, including the iconic experiences of the Great Barrier Reef
and Wet Tropics rainforest that draw tourists to the region, and that
the majority of tourists are constrained by a travel timeframe of
5e7 days which is likely pre-allocated in terms of tourist activities.
Determining how to incorporate Indigenous tourism experiences
into the region's brand to create awareness pre-visit is an important
consideration among destination marketers for the future devel-
opment of these experiences in the region.
Another factor influencing the relative importance of Indigenous
experiences in the Wet Tropics is the preference for particular types
of activities. In this study, Indigenous tourism experience seekers
preferred quite diverse activities based on cultural history (71%),
food (56%), art (50%), festivals (42%) and dance (24%). While this
finding supports previous research (Kutzner et al., 2009), it is
important to ensure that a destination's Indigenous tourism expe-
riences are attractive and appealing to tourists, and reflect what
tourists are looking for in such an experience. Previous research has
identified a positive association between previous Indigenous ex-
periences and an interest in participating in future Indigenous ex-
periences (Kutzner et al., 2009). Therefore, providing desirable,
engaging and satisfactory experiences for tourists can have an in-
fluence on the likelihood of participating in Indigenous experiences
when travelling in the future. Furthermore, Moscardo and Pearce’s
(1999) research suggests that matching awareness and activity
type can be useful in not only identifying Indigenous tourists
(demographically), but can be used to further tailor the experiences
according to their level of interest and previous exposure. For
destination managers, the implications of these findings extend
beyond delivering a preferred and satisfying experience, to tailoring
these experiences to target first-time and repeat visitors that can
enhance higher levels of participation in Indigenous activities in the
region into the future. Targeting experiences at tourists' interest
levels in this way enhances the ability of destination managers to
150 A. Pabel et al. / Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 31 (2017) 142e151
create an awareness and understanding that not all Indigenous ex-
periences are homogeneous and encourage engagement in multiple
experiences within a particular destination.
The results in Table 5 revealed that when participants had an
interest in Indigenous tourism experiences, they were also signifi-
cantly more likely to be motivated by other nature-based activities
on offer in the region. The previous literature highlights that while
there is generally a higher interest to experience nature-based ac-
tivities and that experiences based on Indigenous culture were not
usually given a high priority, there is still a link that can be noted
between nature and Indigenous experiences. For example, visitors
with an interest in Indigenous culture are normally also very
interested in taking part in nature, outdoor and adventure-based
experiences (Kutzner et al., 2009; Ryan & Huyton, 2000; Zeppel,
2002). Keeping this in mind, it was therefore suggested to include
a cultural element to certain nature-based activities and therefore
create added value for tourists (Ryan & Huyton, 2000). The Wet
Tropics region offers many nature-based activities such as
canoeing, kayaking and hiking. All of these activities could poten-
tially include aspects of Indigenous culture. However, this would
need to be carefully planned and managed in conjunction with local
Indigenous groups to ensure that the portrayal of cultural traditions
is not over-simplified (Ryan & Huyton, 2000) and retains the
desired level of authenticity. These findings have important im-
plications from a destination management viewpoint, in terms of
marketing, promoting and even packaging Indigenous tourism
experiences appropriately with other nature-based activities
available in the study region.
A rather surprising finding was that an interest in Indigenous
tourism experiences was more of a deciding factor in purchasing
Indigenous artefacts than actually taking part in an Indigenous
tourism activity. The majority (77.5%) of respondents who pur-
chased an Indigenous artefact did not participate in Indigenous
tourism activities. There are several reasons why visitors may
choose not to participate in Indigenous tourism activities such as
limited time, other sightseeing activities and Indigenous tourism
experiences being too expensive (Ruhanen et al., 2013). Yet, the
purchase of an Indigenous artefact indicates that some visitors are
still willing to take home a souvenir of exotic otherness. This finding
may be of particular interest to destination managers and marketers
in terms of creating opportunities for tourists to purchase Indige-
nous artefacts during their travels, creating an economic benefit to
local Indigenous artists. Making Indigenous artefacts more easily
available and visible may also prove a useful platform by which to
generate a greater awareness of Indigenous tourism experiences
and potentially interest and participation in these activities.
6. Conclusion
This paper investigated and identified the demand for Indigenous
tourism products and experiences in the Wet Tropics region. While
actual participation in Indigenous tourism experiences was low
(13%) and it was not considered a major motivating factor to travel to
the region (see Table 4), the findings identified a group based on their
interest in seeking out these types of experiences (51.7%).
The results indicated that tourists were more likely to partici-
pate in an Indigenous tourism experience if they were first-time
visitors to the study region. Additionally there was also a signifi-
cantly higher motivation to engage in other nature-based experi-
ences available in the region. Knowledge of this type is valuable for
destination managers and Indigenous tourism operators to more
effectively identify target markets and promote to these segments.
Additionally, this finding enables the development of Indigenous
tourism products and experiences to be tailored to meet tourist
demand. For example, packaging Indigenous tours with nature-
based experiences targeting first-time and in particular interna-
tional tourists. Interestingly, tourists who did not participate in an
Indigenous tourism experience were more likely to purchase local
Indigenous artefacts. Although these tourists did not participate in
an Indigenous tourism activity, this finding indicates an opportu-
nity for the sale of Indigenous artefacts such as handicrafts and art
at retail outlets outside the attraction.
The findings provide valuable insights for destination managers
and academics in terms of product development and further
research opportunities in regards to how the region's Indigenous
tourism offering can be further developed. Opportunities include:
increasing the availability and visibility of Indigenous experiences
and artefacts; promoting the diversity of the region's Indigenous
tourism experiences; building on nature-based experiences with
cultural content; and diversifying the region's brand. However, any
development needs to produce a desirable outcome for those
involved from both demand and supply-side perspectives, partic-
ularly the tourists, the destination marketers and local Indigenous
communities. For academics, the results support much of the
existing literature into Indigenous tourism experiences and provide
a useful platform on which to focus future research.
While this research focused on the Wet Tropics region, questions
remain as to the best way for the region to strategically and sensi-
tively develop its Indigenous tourism offering. As this research has
identified the demand for Indigenous tourism experiences in the Wet
Tropics, there is an immediate need to identify the types of experi-
ences available from a supply-side perspective, and determine the
attractiveness of these experiences to current and future demand.
Additional research could be conducted at other destinations around
Australia that have a strong focus on Indigenous tourism experiences,
enabling emerging trends to be identified and comparisons made
with the Wet Tropics of Australia. Furthermore, other research might
focus on the specific activities and experiences that tourists would
like to see in conjunction with Indigenous tourism.
Acknowledgement
The authors would like to acknowledge that this research was
funded through the National Environmental Research Program
(NERP) project no 10.2.
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