Tourism in
remote Australia
Background
Tourism is an important industry in the economy of remote Australia, and Ninti One’s
work in this area has already improved the economic prospects of desert people
through training, enhanced access to economic resource and new and betterperforming businesses. 4WD tourism was shown to be a promising growth area about
which little was known, but with partners CDU, JCU and CSIRO, DKCRC developed a
model of visitor flows that businesses can use to deliver products and services to
tourists.
Impacts

DKCRC project led to better knowledge for service providers in regard to tourist
clientele; this resulted in better targeting of service

As a result of the above, increased awareness by tourists that they can confidently
rely on remote service providers for restocking of supplies and greater spending and
income opportunities have resulted in more remote locations being accessible to
tourists and therefore part of the remote Australian economy.
Usage

Improved practices by stakeholders directly involved in the project
Outcomes

HEMA Maps included DKCRC information in their touring maps, providing better
information on remote 4WD tourism clientele

Tour guide training for Aboriginal people

4WD training for Aboriginal people to achieve formal accreditation
E: info@nintione.com.au
Outputs

Carson D and Carson D. 2011. Why tourism may not be everybody's business: the
challenge of tradition in resource peripheries. The Rangeland Journal. 33, 4. pp. 37383. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/RJ11026.

Carson D and Cartan G. 2011. Touring Routes - types, successes, and failures: an
international review. In Drive Tourism: Trends and Emerging Markets. Ed. Prideaux
B and Carson D. pp. Routledge Publishing. Oxfordshire.

Carson D, Holyoak N and Schmallegger D. 2011. Visualising Relatively
Unpredictable Movement (VRUM): the Tourism Flows Modelling Project. DKCRC
Research Report 60. Ninti One Limited. Alice Springs.

Carson D and Taylor A. 2010. On Track: Four wheel drive tourism in desert Australia.
DKCRC Research Report 44. Desert Knowledge CRC. Alice Springs.

Friedel M and Chewings V. 2011. Community engagement in regional development:
a case study of a systems approach to tourism in central Australia. The Rangeland
Journal. 33, 1. pp. 9-22.

Hueneke H and Baker R. 2009. Tourist behaviour, local values, and interpretation at
Uluru: ‘The sacred deed at Australia’s mighty heart’. GeoJournal. 74, 5. pp. 477-90.
10.1007/s10708-008-9249-2.

Narayanan Y and Macbeth J. 2009. Deep in the Desert: Merging the desert and the
Spiritual through 4WD tourism. Tourism Geographies. 11, 3. pp. 369-89.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14616680903032783.

Schmallegger D. 2011. Managing the Transition from Coach to Car Based Markets:
the search for commercial value in Australia’s Flinders Ranges. In Drive Tourism:
Trends and Emerging Markets. Ed. Prideaux B and Carson D. pp. 14-35. Routledge
Publishing. Oxfordshire.

Taylor A and Carson D. 2010. Four wheel drive tourism and economic development
opportunities for remote areas. Tourismos. 5, 2. pp. 69-85.

Taylor A and Carson D. 2011. Four Wheel Drive Tourism in Desert Australia – the
charge of the ‘Might Brigade’? In Drive Tourism: Trends and Emerging Markets. Ed.
Prideaux B and Carson D. pp. 224-25. Routledge Publishing. Oxfordshire.
E: info@nintione.com.au