ABSTRACT
What are the characteristics of resort development in Cairns, Queensland, and its relationship with Japan? A single Japanese company, Daikyo, contributed significantly to the growth of the town as a Hawaii-like resort from the mid-1980s to 2005. This chapter adopts a historical-sociological perspective and presents the following points. First, it examines Daikyo’s corporate cultures and business activities and clarifies the reasons and backgrounds for engaging in tourism development in Cairns. It then focuses on the content of the development project and its strategy for promoting the resort to Japan and Australia. Second, it analyses Daikyo’s tactics to avoid criticism and opposition. Daikyo actively communicated with key local stakeholders and local residents at every stage of its development project and sought to involve them in the development process. Third, this chapter shows that the content of the development itself reflects Daikyo’s corporate vision. Previous research has argued that Daikyo’s development has increased precarious employment opportunities and low-wage labour, but this chapter concludes that a single Japanese corporation contributed significantly to the construction of the town’s infrastructure and its development as a world-class resort.
