ABSTRACT
This chapter presents research findings on the interfaces between second home tourism and climate change adaptation (CCA), which emerged from the research project Wildfire Disaster Preparedness, Response and Recovery in Coastal Tourist Destinations: the case of Wye River, Australia. Data collection comprised fieldwork for direct observation, semi-structured interviews, and desktop research, including sourcing of Australian Bureau of Statistic (ABS) census data and Tourism Research Australia (TRA) statistics. Data was qualitatively analysed following a Grounded Theory approach supported by the development of interactive timelines for data visualisation. Wye River is a small coastal settlement in Victoria, Australia. With a permanent population of 63 residents and 199 dwellings recorded in the 2016 census, Wye River features a high proportion of second homes and investment properties, in addition to two caravan park/camping grounds. In December 2015, extreme wildfires forced the emergency evacuation of Wye River, destroying 98 houses, about half of its housing stock. Research findings suggest second homes may support the diversification of a destinationșs extended community profile in relation to available skills, knowledge of local conditions, and attachment to place. They also point to instances when this diversification contributes to resilience-building (RB) through increased internal and external connectivity for response and recovery, while also supporting and enhancing polycentric governance arrangements.
