Drive Tourism

Since the post World War Two boom in private automobile ownership, Drive Tourism has transformed the tourism landscape by facilitating dispersal and the growth of attractions and tourism related infrastructure beyond the zones that had previously emerged around seaports and railway terminals. The automobile has made regional dispersal possible and created opportunities for many small rural communities to supplement rural economies with a tourism economy. Drive Tourism is a popular form of tourism activity that has significantly contributed to the development of Tourism in many nations, but has received relatively little attention in the literature. This book is the first attempt to provide a global comprehensive review and scholarly investigation into this popular and growing form of tourism. It draws on a vast range of geographical locations to critically explore the impacts of drive tourism in developed and underdeveloped regions. It evaluates tourism authorities' response to the Drive Tourism Experience, and offers operational insights into the management of the drive experience as well as providing original empirical research and insights into the field that will contribute to future investigation. In doing so it explores the many forms of drive tourism from caravanning to fly drive touring.

Bruce Prideaux is a Professor of Marketing and Tourism Management at James Cook University, Australia. In an academic career spanning 16 years, he has been an active researcher, publishing over 170 journal articles, book chapters and conference papers. He has co-authored five books, including Cultural and Heritage Tourism in the Asia Pacific (Routledge, 2007). Dean Carson is an Associate Professor at Charles Darwin University, Australia. He has fifteen years' experience as an academic researcher in Tourism and Population Studies. He has published over thirty peer-reviewed academic papers and co-edited two books.

1. Introduction Part 1: Aspects of Drive Tourism 2. Driving Safety: Major Issue for Tourists 3. 4WD Touring in Australia 4. Los Hermanos Visiting Brazil: differences Between Drive and Coach Tourists 5. 4WD Touring Clubs, Motivations and Destinations Part 2: Drive Segments 6. SUVs in the US 7. Why We Travel This Way: An Exploration into the Motivations of Recreational Vehicle Users 8. Caravanning in Australia 9. Images of the Drive 10. Touring Routes in Australia 11. The Savannah Guides: Establishment and Success 12. Rainforest Way Part 3: Destinations 13. Golden Week: Driving for Pleasure in Japan 14. Local Drive Tourism 15. Drive Tourism in South Africa 16. Realising the Value of Self-Drive Day Trips to Lower Austria 17. 4-Wheel Drive Tourism in the People's republic of China Part 4: Product 18. The Influence of International Tourists Travel Patterns on Rental Car Fleet Management in New Zealand 19. Marketing: Capturing the Drive Tourism Market 20. Motorcycle Touring 21. Technologies for Self-Drive Tourism Part 5: Management 22. Developing Maps for the Drive Tourism Sector 23. Planning, Building and Maintaining the Infrastructure of Drive Tourism 24. Product and Marketing Innovation in Australia's Flinders Range 25. Exploring the Spatial Patterns of Car Based Tourism Travel in Loch Lomand and Trossachs National Park 26. Managing the Environmental Implications of Drive Tourism 27. Conclusion