Promoting the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area: environmental presentation within tourist brochures

Abstract

Obligation to ‘identify, protect, conserve, and present’ World Heritage properties is a critical component of the World Heritage Convention. While complying with the first three obligations is enshrined in policy, ‘presenting’ an area's values is often overlooked particularly in an environment of fiscal constraint. The way communities represent and use the World Heritage status of their region can indicate their attitudes and understanding of World Heritage. We examine tourism brochures, collected from Visitor Information Centres (VICs) in the Greater Blue Mountains region, in the context of their ability to raise awareness about environmental and conservation goals for the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Results revealed a low prominence in World Heritage and eco-branding and a lack of adoption of the ‘Greater Blue Mountain’ and ‘World Heritage’ brand. Images, represented in the majority of brochures, showed limited representation of non-modified environments, and more specifically a low presentation of the eucalyptus environment for which the region achieved World Heritage status. The study concludes that promotional inconsistencies within the VIC network have reduced opportunities for raising awareness of both the World Heritage brand and general environmental consciousness and suggests that ‘green’ advertising is yet to reach its full potential.

Keywords:

• World Heritage sites
• visitor management
• marketing

Notes on contributors

David Lloyd is the associate professor of protected area management in the School of Environment, Science & Engineering at Southern Cross University, Australia, and has a long history of working in national and marine park management.

Sharn Gilmour is an Honours candidate in the School of Environment, Science & Engineering at Southern Cross University. Her current research interest is the efficacy of persuasive environmental communication development for natural resource managers, with a particular focus on communication science.

Kerrie Stimpson is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Environment, Science & Engineering at Southern Cross University. Her current research interest is sustainable community development and community engagement in Timor-Leste, with a particular focus on the coffee sector.

Notes

1. Actually called the UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

2. A stripped emblem refers to the World Heritage emblem stripped of its encircling phrases. Without the encircling phrases, the emblem is seen no longer seen as an emblem but as an abstract mark (King, 2011; Wheeler, 2009).