What are the best hands on experiences for visitors exploring coastal destinations?

Research from the Australian Tourism Research Institute found that 67% of coastal tourists had a less than ideal tour experience because they were unable to participate in activities. However, this is not what tourists want any more. They want to be engaged by tourism activities and for there to be no distinction between them and the destination.

The evolution of coastal tourism

Tourism along many of the world’s coasts follows a similar pattern to tourism in many other natural attractions around the world. In the past the tourists visited, looked, photographed and then went home. Today even the purchase of postcards and local products is often handled by people living in other parts of the country or even overseas. Tourists experience coastal views from places where they can also see boats pulled up to the dock or moored at an adjacent mooring field, or view yachts stored on the sand, or watch as individuals take parts of the beach out of season in search of seashells. Occasionally they get to glance into the window of a beach house. Rarely do tourists have much actual contact with local residents. And certainly rarely experience the culture of local residents.

There is a growing disconnection between how tourist destinations observe tourists and how they facilitate for tourists the opportunity to experience. Destinations that have an understanding of this shift will achieve long-term tourist destination success, while those destinations focused on a tourist passive model will be struggling to sustain tourist demand and repeat visitation.

Marine-based experiential activities

There is little more wonderful than experiencing for yourself the many hands-on coastal activities on offer at one of the world’s greatest landscapes – the ocean. Many common Australian commercial fishing activities are now available for visitors to experience as they follow the rhythms of life at sea. Try trawling at dawn or helping with the harvest in a variety of activities specific to the coast and its many marine ecosystems.

Explore the rock platforms and see just how ‘hot’ this tourism hotspot has become. From fishing for favourite species, finding treasures amongst the tides or simply appreciating the variety of marine life in the tidal pools – guided foraging walks can also identify edible seaweeds and explore links between coastal environments, their residents and the people who utilise them for real outcomes.

Another activity which has come within tourist reach recently is a lobster catching tour, previously fishermen at work could only be viewed from afar, now tourists can join in the tradition and skills of the fishermen and catch the days harvest as part of the learning process. This type of experience allows not only meaningful contact with local people but also allows for a truly worthwhile skill building activity that will remain with tourists long after they have left the area.

Land-based coastal crafts and skills

In many parts of the world there are active traditions of local crafts and industries in coastal regions that also offer interesting activities for tourists. Net-mending workshops, rope-work makers, and other local fishermen give visitors the opportunity to see behind the scenes of a centuries old industry. Visitors can learn new skills that they can practice during their stay in the region and take back home. Net-mending and rope-work are calm activities that offer a sharp contrast to the busy tourist-travel schedule of long flights, rushy bus rides, and crowded tourist information points.

Our shorter boat building courses are just long enough to give visitors to the site an appreciation of the relationship between coastal communities and the sea, and a flavour of the skill and attention to detail required of a boat builder. They are run in conjunction with our longer courses and allow visitors to work alongside our experienced craftsmen as they build sea worthy boats.

Our new coastal program is proving to be a popular option for sustainable tourism as guests are introduced to a variety of native plants and their traditional and modern uses. This new program caters to tourists with a number of different motivational factors including those seeking a learning experience, those who want to support sustainability and those who are looking for a local expert perspective.

We also offer guests the chance to get further involved in the salt harvesting and learn more about the traditional methods of preserving food. Depending on the weather there may also be the chance to dry out some of the seaweed we harvest from the shore and find out just how much hard work goes into producing what we consider a cheap commodity.

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Cultural immersion through food preparation

While some tourism providers along the coastal tourism route already offer experiential learning opportunities, such as demonstrations or workshops where people can learn to carve fish, the preparation of local coastal cuisine (such as cleaning and filleting fish) could offer a fresh, engaging experiential experience. Contrary to what might be a first thought that many people have about cleaning fish, it can offer an immediate and rewarding experiential learning experience. Numbers attending such sessions have been high to date. People enjoy learning a new skill and then being able to eat what they have made.

Whether it be smoking and curing seafood in our training kitchen, our Artisan Food workshops offer a unique insight into the growing pastime of making your own artisanal foods. Participants will explore temperature, time and flavour development as they create a range of products to enjoy on the day or to share with family and friends when they return home.

Conservation and research participation

Many coastal visitor centers offer citizen science programs that allow people to learn about the local coastal environment while contributing to scientific studies. Some examples include participating in beach monitoring programs, marine species surveys, and habitat restoration projects.

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Implementation considerations

Hands-on experiences at the coast must be realistic yet accessible. While maintaining the realism of the actual operation, providers of these experiences will adapt their normal functioning to allow individuals with little or no prior knowledge or experience to safely and actively participate.

Many traditional coastal activities or industries are tied to tides, seasons or other rhythms of nature that do not correspond with typical tourism hours. By thinking about how to offer activities or providing programmes to visitors, operators can educate visitors about these internal rhythms and tap into year round business opportunities.

Measuring experiential success

Experiential activities and experiences along the coast can deliver greater impacts on visitor behaviour than static ‘traditional’ tourists. Such activities could foster purchase of local produce and encourage longer stays and repeat visits.

Tourism can bring new dimensions to engagement with the environment. As tourism to the coast continues to transform, destinations can capitalize on the growing market for authentic travel experiences that offer participative experiences for visitors.