ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the impact of tourism on the dingoes of Fraser Island, and the aspirations of tourists in this nature-based tourism setting. Dingoes and people have coexisted in Australia for thousands of years, and on Fraser Island for several hundred. More recently, this popular tourist destination was inscribed as a World Heritage Area in 1992, in recognition of its outstanding natural features, and consequently visitor numbers increased rapidly. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) have managed the island, the wildlife, the tourists and their interactions since taking over from the Forestry Department in 1991. To discourage humans from seeking interactions with dingoes, QPWS increased their educational campaign and interpretation material, and had it evaluated by an external consultancy who concluded it was equivalent to best practice in North American parks. Legislation that then enacts the culling of wildlife for fear of people being harmed, demonstrates an obvious anthropocentric view of management that puts humans first.
