After reading the content of this website you will be able to:

• Identify the issues and problems in Oceania;
• Recognise the differences in the tourism product between Australia and New Zealand and small island states;
• Understand how outside forces affect the tourism industry.

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About Oceania

Oceania is a region of great contrasts. Culture, history and environments vary considerably throughout the region, all influencing the tourism offering. From the dominating Australia and New Zealand, to its many microstates and atolls, it offers a truly diverse and unique tourism product, though often generalised and stereotyped.

There are numerous inconsistencies in the written work about Oceania. Comparatively to other world regions, the tourism literature about Oceania is lacking. Few authors undertake the subject, and many who do take on a discouraging outlook; however this offers the potential for further research, particularly sustainable tourism and socio-cultural, local attitudes and perspectives (Plange, 1996, p216).

The biggest issue is in the definition of the region itself. This is mainly due to complex geographical and political structures. Often generalised as part of Asia and the Pacific, in its broadest sense Oceania embraces the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas (Britannica, 2013).

For the purpose of this website the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) classification will be used, namely Oceania as a sub region of Asia-Pacific, which includes 21 countries:

• Australia
• New Zealand
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Other Oceania
  • American Samoa
  • Cook Islands
  • French Polynesia
  • Guam
  • Marshall Islands
  • Micronesia (Federated States of)
  • New Caledonia
  • Niue
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Palau
  • Samoa
  • Tuvalu
• Papua New Guinea
• Solomon Islands
• Tonga
• Vanuatu

People across the globe have been brought closer through various technologically assisted developments (Urry and Larsen, 2011:23). Though the tourism industry has greatly benefited by increased mobility, globalisation contributes to the homogenisation of culture and adds pressure on the environment.

The area has great conservational needs both in terms of its biodiversity and heritage. Australia and New Zealand were among the pioneers of protection and conservation of natural areas, particularly national parks and marine reserves (Cooper and Hall, 2005). In contrast, the Pacific islands are lacking in this respect, where the biodiversity is dwindling and protected area systems remain inadequate (Keppel, et al. 2012:256). This in turn however gives rise tocontemporary and alternative forms of tourism, for example climate change tourism as discussed <here>.

This website serves to provide insight into the region from a tourism perception, and into the many difficulties faced with tourism, particularly in small island states which require responsible management. With its diversities, complex history and vulnerability to current natural and economical events, the region forms and interesting and unique case study.