Successful action in the public sphere: the case of a sustainable tourism-led community protest against coal seam gas mining in Australia

ABSTRACT

As demand for resources grows, there is increased pressure on the places and communities in which sustainable tourism is situated. This research examined the experience of an academic and a sustainable tourism business operator who were engaged in a community protest against coal seam gas mining in Queensland, Australia. Our research used a co-constructed narrative method and a post-ecological democratic framework to understand the significance of the public-sphere action of the tourism business. Our findings reveal that sustainable tourism organisations can link with the local community to be effective in public-sphere protest because of their social relationships within communities. The tourism business engagement in the public sphere was characterised by an increase in the locus of control of the business in responding to environmental threats, reconceptualising “the environment” as a valued local place worth fighting for, and tactics that ensured the campaign was not subsumed and devalued within government administrative processes. We found that if the value basis for public-sphere action aligns with the business model, tourism businesses can engage in public-sphere action with no financial loss. Protest actions by sustainable tourism business operators can be part of a deeper sustainability movement through protest actions in the public sphere.

KEYWORDS:

• Sustainable tourism
• tourism impacts
• mining
• protest
• coal seam gas
• public sphere

Disclosure statement

The authors of this article acknowledge that no financial interest or benefit has arisen from the direct applications of the research.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Robert Hales

Robert Hales is the program director of the Griffith Centre for Sustainable Enterprise and lectures in the Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management. His research interests include sustainable tourism, climate change, social movement studies, research with Indigenous people, adventure tourism and outdoor recreation.

Innes Larkin

Innes Larkin is a co-owner of Mt Barney Lodge in the Scenic Rim region of South-East Queensland, Australia. He is a passionate advocate for sustainable tourism and outdoor education and the lasting legacies they can bring.