Factors influencing boater satisfaction in Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Abstract

This article investigates determinants of satisfaction for recreational fishers and nonfishers boating in Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Trip satisfaction was modeled as a function of subjective evaluations of various trip aspects. Satisfaction of fishers and nonfishers was related to evaluations of environment quality and weather quality. Satisfaction of fishers was also related to evaluations of fishing quality. There was no effect of evaluation of marine life quality, facilities quality, number of people encountered, number of vessels encountered, or number of wildlife encounters on satisfaction for either group. Results are consistent with the multiple-satisfactions concept of recreation satisfaction, and provide insights into the types of experiences sought by fishers and nonfishers in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.