Regional Tourism Research

The Griffith Institute for Tourism engages and mobilises the input of local communities, tourism businesses and tourists in peripheral regions of Australia to develop peak tourist experiences with exceptional potential to inspire repeat visits and recommendations. The goal of this research program is to help foster more resilient peripheral communities by generating significant new sources of tourism-related employment and revenue. Innovative outcomes, co-created with local communities assist peripheral destinations implement successful co-creative tourism aligned with their unique cultural and geographical circumstances.

Research projects

Reconstructing QLD’s Secret WWII History

Professor Brent Moyle

Professor Brent Moyle recently completed the project, 'Stimulating Regional Tourism through the Virtual Reconstruction of Queensland's WWII heritage' funded under the Advance Queensland Fellowship.

As a legacy of the project, an Outback Tourism Infrastructure Grant was awarded to Murweh to showcase the unique and charismatic heritage of the Top Secret outback US Airbase. Construction of the external facility has now been completed, with research on the base conducted as part of the Advance Queensland Fellowship used to design the interpretation and exhibition.

Developing the centre exhibits has inspired the surrounding Charleville community to get involved, with the local Aviation Club currently building a replica 1:6 size B-17 bomber, which Professor Moyle anticipated within the long-term planning of the WWII Secret Base.

Qantas Drive Rejuvenation: Stage 2 Master Plan

Professor Karine Dupre and Professor Brent Moyle

GIFT researchers, Professors Karine Dupre and Brent Moyle are working on a project titled ‘Qantas Drive Rejuvenation: Stage 2 Top-Secret Masterplan’ in the Queensland Outback with the Murweh Shire Council.

As an outcome of the Stage 2 Masterplan for the Top-Secret Tourism Precinct, the Qantas Drive entry statement, and associated areas for potential rejuvenation, are to be assessed and redesigned to contribute to the creation of a new clear identity which aligns with community and visitor aspirations.

Pictured here is the full council with students Majed Abu Seif and Ting Ren along with Professor Karine Dupre where the team presented their report to the council members.

Refurbishment of Charleville Cosmos Centre

Professor Brent Moyle

Associate Professor Moyle worked with the Murweh Shire Council as a consult on the revitalisation of the town’s signature Dark Sky tourism attraction, the Cosmos Centre and Observatory.

Co-creating new experiences for the Cosmos Centre by involving community stakeholders, visitors and Griffith experts would become his signature collaborative process that led to the creation of a masterplan for a Top-Secret Tourism Precinct.

”The project team also wrote a report recommending the construction of a Planetarium to minimise the impact of cloudy nights on the Dark Sky tourism experience which helped secure a Building Our Regions and Growing Tourism Infrastructure Grant from the Queensland Government."

Watch a timelapse video of a rocket being constructed as part of the project.

20 Projects & 1 Tourism Resilience & Recovery Plan

Professor Karine Dupre, Associate Professor Sarah Gardiner, Dr Noel Scott, Dr Margarida Abreu Novais, Associate Professor Jim Smart, Made Handijaya Dewantara

This project will deliver a disaster response program and 20 impact projects for the tourism sector in the Scenic Rim.

Twenty stakeholders will engage in training workshops, a study tour, and entrepreneurship capacity building seminars and complete an impact bushfire recovery or resilience project which aims to facilitate tourism-led disaster recovery, build local capacity to future-proof the region from climate-related risk and increase employment, trade and commerce. Participants will contribute to a regional tourism crisis plan white paper that enables a scalable blueprint to build leadership and resilience among SMEs, as well as supports community frameworks and increases the economic, social and natural recovery and resilience.

Read more about this project here.

Unearth Etheridge

Professor Brent Moyle, Professor Karine Dupre, Dr Anna Kralj, Dr Truc Le

This project will deliver a disaster response program and 20 impact projects for the tourism sector in the Scenic Rim.

This project aims to stimulate regional tourism through several strategies that were developed with a Tourism Directions paper and a  Tourism Masterplan. One of them is Creative Arts and Storytelling which include the design and construction of mobile pavilions and wayfinding signage. Another is the ecocertification of Etheridge Shire as a tourism destination.

Want to know more?

Contact the Griffith Institute for Tourism