Entrepreneurship in Rural Tourism? Australian Landcare Programs as a Destination Marketing Tool

Abstract

Landcare is an innovative, bottom-up community approach to solving environmental problems and ensuring the future of Australia’s natural resources on both private and public land. Many of the Landcare projects provide rich educational opportunities for tourists through organized field days and tours that have been initially developed for agriculturists, farmers, and school groups. This article explores the potential links between tourism and Landcare, examining two cases in which attempts have been made to attract tourists to certain projects. Findings confirm the hypothesis that understanding the mechanics of the tourism industry by many rural enterprises is ineffectual, resulting in lost opportunities.