THE GAZE, SPECTACLE AND ECOTOURISM

This paper discusses the attitudes and behaviors of visitors to Fogg Dam Conservation Area in the Northern Territory, Australia. Based on survey results and observations of tourist behavior, it argues that in this particular location, self-defined ecotourists are gaining an affective rather than cognitive experience. Additionally, the nature of this experience is primarily ocular and concerned with spectacle, and thus is selective. The study also suggests that ecotourism may be culturally determined, with the culture being that of consumerism. Hence, in this Australian location, ecotourism is a hedonistic experience rather than concerned with learning.

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