UniSC offers educational programs and outreach initiatives on the sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism. This equips local and national communities with the knowledge and skills needed to balance economic development with environmental conservation. These programs can cover best practices in sustainable fishing, responsible aquaculture techniques, and eco-friendly tourism strategies, ensuring that natural resources are used efficiently and preserved for future generations. By fostering a deeper understanding of these interconnected sectors, such initiatives promote sustainable livelihoods, enhance community resilience, and contribute to the overall health of marine and coastal ecosystems. Engaging communities in these educational efforts also encourages active participation and stewardship, leading to more sustainable and thriving local economies.

UniSC provides free educational outreach for local and national communities on sustainable management of land, aquaculture and tourism. UniSC manages K'gari-Fraser Island Research and Learning Centre, a research and learning centre on the World Heritage-listed Fraser Island, providing accommodation for students and staff, and access to field study sites for primary, secondary and tertiary student groups. Researchers and groups with genuine environmental interests in the region are encouraged to use the site. Few places compare to K’gari’s unique natural environment as an immersive outdoor classroom to explore and develop knowledge and hands-on research skills. From animal ecology and environmental science to mapping with drones. Field studies on the Island add an invaluable dimension to several UniSC programs and courses.

UniSC is the recipient of funding from the Australia Awards Indonesia on sustainable tourism development. The program cultivates a tourism strategy for a specific tourism sector; analysing the role of existing policies and regulations play in developing the sector by identifying key factors in ecotourism and tourism businesses built on natural resources. The program is delivered in Indonesia and Australia.

UniSC developed an award winning recruitment and tourism strategy to engage with high school students to get a taste of University life “UniSC Best Field Trip in the World” was launched in 2023 as a competition for high school students to win a free one-of-a-kind experience to visit our campus footprint and experience our world heritage listed site, K'gari.

UniSC partners with the Fraser Coast Tourism and Events to present the annual “Hervey Bay Whale Festival”. A 10-day tourism event promoting the conservation of the region’s rich and diverse marine environment and wildlife.Each year from July to October thousands of humpbacks journey into Hervey Bay’s sheltered waters where they stop and play for up to two weeks at a time, taking a well- earned break on their southern migration. Many UniSC staff and students are involved in the annual program and logistics.

UniSC’s Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research is currently conducting a range of research projects that include outreach with communities regarding tourism via agritourism:

• UniSC researchers, led by Dr Cherise Addinsall, are developing a strategic approach to support rural smallholders in Vanuatu to diversify into agritourism — an emerging sector that connects farming and agribusiness with tourism. New focus is on sustainable traditional local cuisine and traditional farming practices and encouraging greater connection between tourists and primary producers. There's a shift from local to global perspectives and a greater recognition for the role of women in agriculture.

UniSC is the world’s only university operating within three interconnecting UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. At UniSC we live and breathe sustainability and offer a range of educational programmes:

• Sustainable Tourism, Leisure and Event Management course - This course focuses on fundamental concepts of sustainability that have application to the management of all forms of tourism, leisure and events. It aims to provide a theoretical and practical understanding of physical, socio-cultural and economic sustainability and its prospects for successful implementation in developed and developing countries. Ecotourism as an exemplar of sustainable tourism is also examined.
• Tourism, Leisure and Event Management Major - The Sunshine Coast region is a booming tourist destination and a great place to learn about the ‘experience economy’. Set in the backdrop of pristine beaches and national parks, your studies will focus on sustainable tourism to prevent potential harm to local communities or the environment.

UniSC tries to engage in outreach in all formats including broadcasting from under the sea. In 2023, for International Day for Biosphere Reserves, Dr Leah Barclay made underwater sound accessible to the wider community allowing people to better connect to the marine environment. The live stream is via a hydrophone, which allows for real-time submersion into ocean sounds for the first time in Australia from a reef.

UniSC’s Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research holds free educational workshops that are open to the local and national communities and cover topics on sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism.

Summary

UniSC’s educational programs on sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism helps communities balance economic development with environmental conservation.

References and more information:

• K'gari field studies and courses
• Hervey Bay Whale Festival 2023 – bigger and brighter than ever!
• UniSC Best Field Trip in the world itinerary
• Supporting Vanuatu smallholder farmers to diversify into agritourism
• Growing agritourism in the Pacific
• Pacific Agribusiness Research in Development Initiative Phase 2 (PARDI 2)
• TSM223 Sustainable Tourism, Leisure and Event Management
• Tourism, Leisure and Event Management
• Undersea soundscapes broadcast to celebrate Biosphere Reserves
• Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research -Events
• Sustainable livelihoods