Dr Michael Hughes
B. App.Sc., Grad Dip., MSc., PhD.

Senior Lecturer, Environmental Management

About me

My expertise is in the field of environmental management and nature based recreation and tourism.  My background includes Environmental Biology, natural resource management, protected area management and tourism and recreation policy and management.  My research generally focusses on reconciling policy and management of land for different values.  I am also interested in nature based tourism and recreation management, especially natural area visitor experiences and behaviour.  I am very interested in how people and the natural environment interact and how this can be managed for the benefit of both.

I teach Environmental Management at the undergraduate and post graduate levels and also make guest appearances in the realm of Protected Area Management and Environmental Monitoring.

Research areas

  • Protected natural area management
  • Nature based recreation and tourism
  • Value of nature and land uses
  • Urban and urban fringe green space
  • Strategic communication and environmental interpretation
  • Environmental sociology

Current projects

Some of my recent research projects include:

Project Title: Pilbara Islands visitor survey.  Project funded by the WA Department of Parks and Wildlife.  The project aims to understand who visits the islands along the Pilbara coast between Exmouth and Point Preston. Information is being gathered about visitation patterns, perceived benefits of the islands and awareness of how the islands are managed.


Project Title: Knowledge integration: predicting biological and social response to climate change. Project funded by the WA Marine Science Institute as part of the Kimberley Marine Research Program. I am working with the ALCES Group in Alberta and the CSIRO to develop a cumulative effects simulator that integrates landscape dynamics, climate and marine dynamics to generate possible future scenarios that inform environmental policy and management in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Project Title: Recreation carrying capacity of the Swan-Canning Riverpark. Project funded by the Swan River Trust, City of Melville and Department of Transport. A project to identify key issues regarding recreation carrying capacity and thresholds for commercial recreation based operations at two key locations in the Swan-Canning Riverpark, Perth Western Australia.

Awards and grants

Hughes and Rodger (2016-2017) Pilbara Islands visitor survey. WA Dept. of Parks and Wildlife.
Hughes, Smith and Tuffin (2014-15) Bibbulmun Track user survey. WA Dept. of Parks and Wildlife, Bibbulmun Track Foundation.
Hughes (2014) Recreation carrying capacity of the Swan-Canning Riverpark.  Swan River Trust, City of Melville, WA Dept. of Transport.
Boschetti, Lozano, Stelfox and Hughes (2013-2016) Knowledge integration: predicting biological and social response to climate change. Kimberley Marine Research Program, WAMSI.
Hughes (2012) Planning model needs analysis. WA Dept of Planning.
Hughes and Tye (2010 -13) The right to roam phase 2: recreational walking and trails access to land. WA Dept of Sport and Recreation.
Jones, Jones and Hughes (2011-2012) Community and Socioeconomic Impacts of the World Heritage Nominations of Shark Bay and Ningaloo. WA Dept Environment and Conservation.
Hughes (2011) Munda Biddi trail user survey analysis. WA Dept Environment and Conservation.
Hughes (2010) Broome and West Kimberley tourism: review of opportunities and threats. Wilderness Society (WA)
Hughes and Carlsen (2009 – 2010) Economic valuation of Riverpark, WA, Swan River Trust,
Hughes and Tye (2009 – 2010) The right to roam: review of policy on public recreation access to land. WA Dept of Sport and Recreation & Curtin University Linkage Grant
Hughes (2009) Mapping recreation use of the Southern Darling region, WA. WA Dept of Sport and Recreation
Hughes (2009) National Trust WA program valuation feasibility report. National Trust WA
Wood, Jones and Hughes (2008-2010) Development and sustainability in the Ningaloo Region of Western Australia. CSIRO, Sustainable Tourism CRC Curtin University.
Hughes (2008-2009) Using communication to influence domestic fertilizer use in the Swan Canning River system.  Swan River Trust, Swan Canning Innovation Program Grant.
Carlsen and Hughes (2008) Review of recreation in WA public drinking water catchments. WA Dept of Env.& Conservation, WA Dept of Sport and Recreation.
Hughes and Carlsen (2008) Valuation of heritage tourism to the City of Perth. City of Perth, Heritage Council WA, Perth Heritage Appeal.
Hughes (2008) Advisor for the Cape to Cape walking track user valuation project. WA Dept Environment and Conservation
Carlsen and Hughes (2007 – 2008) ATLAS project: valuing Australian protected areas Sustainable Tourism CRC, Australia
Hughes (2007- 2008) Wildlife tourism auditing in Western Australia.  Sustainable Tourism CRC, Australia
Hughes and Carlsen (2007) Valuing Queensland parks for tourism. Sustainable Tourism CRC, Australia
Hughes (2006 – 2007) Optimizing use of strategic communication in Australian protected areas to influence problem visitor behaviours. Sustainable Tourism CRC, Australia
Hughes, Jones and Wood (2006 – 2007) Cultural heritage community needs: developing a framework for a regional heritage tourism product. Sustainable Tourism CRC, Australia
Wood, Hughes and Jones (2006 – 2007) Estimating the social, economic and environmental values of Australian protected areas for tourism. Sustainable Tourism CRC, Australia.
Carlsen and Hughes (2006 – 2007) Best practice user pays systems in protected areas. Sustainable Tourism CRC, Australia
Carlsen and Hughes (2006) Critical success factors for cultural heritage tourism enterprises. Sustainable Tourism CRC , Australia
Carlsen and Hughes (2006) A review of guidelines for human interaction with wildlife in WA. WA Dept of Env.& Conservation.
Carlsen, Hughes and Wood (2005) Assessment of the economic value of heritage tourism in Fremantle, Albany and New Norcia. Heritage Council WA
Hughes, Smith, Wood and Carlsen (2004-2006) Tourism potential of the WA Gascoyne-Murchison Rangelands. Sustainable Tourism CRC, Australia

 

Professional and community service

Immediate past Chair  and committee member - Council for Australasian Tourism and Hospitality Education – CAUTHE

Committee Member – WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry Environment Committee – CCIWA

Committee Member – Nature Based Tourism Research Reference Group, WA Dept of Parks and Wildlife DPaW

Committee Member – Forum Advocating Cultural and Ecotourism – FACET

Doctoral and masters supervisions

  • Emily Hamley (2017- ) Biological implications and social values towards restocking recreational and commercial fisheries in south-western Australian estuaries. (Murdoch University, with Dr James Tweedley & Prof Neil Loneragan), PhD
  • Megan Jones (2017- ) How much can we expect from the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process? (Murdoch University, with A/Prof Angus Morrison Saunders), PhD
  • Valeria Senigaglia (2017- ) Socio-economic aspects of dolphin tourism and food provisioning in Bunbury. (Murdoch University, with Prof Lars Bejder and Dr Frederik Christiansen), PhD
  • Virginia Dahlitz (2015 – ) Realising sustainability through environmental impact assessment. (Murdoch University, with A/Prof Angus Morrison Saunders), PhD
  • Mia Pepper (2015 – ) The history of mines in care and maintenance in Western Australia. (Murdoch University, with Prof Richard Harper), MPhil
  • Kim Hewson (2014 – ) The development of sustainable tourism as an economic alternative to supplement or replace mining based regional economies – Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. (Curtin University, with A/Prof Christof Pforr), PhD
  • Sharon Kili (2015-2016) Reconciling elephant and local community wellbeing in Kenya: identifying good practice management. (Murdoch University, with Dr Kate Rodger), Masters Project
  • Isaac Middle (2012 – 2016) Planning public parks under resilience theory: a framework for negotiating ecosystem and sporting park services in outer suburbs. (Curtin University, with Prof Dave Hedgecock), PhD
  • Min Juan Deng-Westphal (2012 – 2015) Empirical investigation of tourism organisations’ decisions to adopt ecolabels: a mixed methods approach. (La Trobe University, with A/Prof Sue Beeton), PhD
  • Anna Lewis (2008 – 2013) Remote camping along the Ningaloo Coast, Western Australia: Relationship between management and the variables of camper preferences, resource use and environmental impacts. (Curtin University, With Prof Roy Jones and Dr Tod Jones), PhD

Publications

Access my publications at the Murdoch University Library Research Repository:

http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/view/author/Hughes,_Michael.html

Publications (last five years)

Books

Hughes, M., Pforr, C. and Weaver, D. (eds.) (2015) The practice of sustainable tourism: resolving the paradox. Routledge, UK.

Holmes, K., Hughes, M., Mair, J., and Carlsen, J. (2015) Events and sustainability. Routledge, UK.

Book Chapters

Newsome, D. and Hughes, M. (2016) Understanding the impacts of ecotourism on biodiversity: a multi-scale, cumulative issue influenced by perceptions and politics. In: Geneletti, D. (ed.) Handbook on biodiversity and ecosystem services in impact assessment. Edward Elgar Publishing, UK. pp. 276-298.

Hughes, M. and Morrison-Saunders, A. (2015) Promoting interdisciplinary sustainable tourism. In: Hughes, M., Pforr, C. and Weaver, D. (eds.) The practice of sustainable tourism: resolving the paradox. Routledge, UK. pp. 38- 51.

Hughes, M. Pforr, C. and Weaver, D (2015) Confronting the reality of paradox in sustainable tourism. In: Hughes, M., Pforr, C. and Weaver, D. (eds.) The practice of sustainable tourism: resolving the paradox. Routledge, UK. pp. 1-8.

Weaver, D.,  Hughes, M. and Pforr, C. (2015) Paradox as a pervasive characteristic of sustainable tourism: challenges, opportunities and trade-offs. In: Hughes, M., Pforr, C. and Weaver, D. (eds.) The practice of sustainable tourism: resolving the paradox. Routledge, UK. pp. 281-290.

Deery, M., Filep, S. and Hughes, M. (2014) Exploring visitor wellbeing in parks and nature reserves. In: Voigt, C. and Pforr, C. (eds.) Wellness tourism: a destination perspective. Routledge, UK. pp. 161-175.

Hughes, M. (2014) Researching the links between parklands and health. In: Voigt, C. and Pforr, C. (eds.) Wellness tourism: a destination perspective. Routledge, UK. pp. 147-160.

Hughes, M. (2014) Introducing oil and gas to a remote, iconic tourism destination: impacts on Broome and the West Kimberley. In: Brueckner, M. and Pforr, C. (eds.) Resource curse or cure? Springer, UK. pp. 137-152.

Pforr, C., Hughes, M., Dawkins, M. and Gaunt, E. (2014) Nature-Based Wellness Tourism: The Case of the Margaret River Region in Western Australia. In: Voigt, C. and Pforr, C. (eds.) Wellness tourism: a destination perspective. Routledge, UK. pp 176-187.

Hughes, M. (2013) Ecocean: conservation through technological innovation. In: Liburd, J., Carlsen, J. and Edwards, D. (eds.) Networks for sustainable tourism innovation: Case studies and cross-case analysis. Tilde University Press, Australia, pp 25-32

Hughes, M. (2013)  Ecotourists and views of nature. In: Ballantyne R. and Packer, J. (eds.) The international handbook on ecotourism. Edward Elgar Publishing, UK, pp.108-113.

Ingram, C. and Hughes, M. (2011) Recreational access to urban water supplies. In:  Crase, L. and O’Keefe S. (eds) Water policy, tourism, and recreation: Lessons from Australia. RFF Press, Washington DC, pp.132-147

Refereed Journal Articles

Hughes, M., Tye, M. and Chandler, P. (2016) Eroding the experience: bushwalking on the urban fringe. Society and Natural Resources, 29(11), 1311-1324. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2016.1185554

Newsome, D. and Hughes, M. (2016) Jurassic World as a contemporary wildlife theme park allegory. Current Issues in Tourism. published online, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2016.1161013.

Jones, T., Jones, R. and Hughes, M. (2016) Heritage designation and scale:  a world heritage case study of the Ningaloo Coast. International Journal of Heritage Studies. 22(3), 242-260.

Hughes, M. and Jones, T.  and Phua, I. (2016) Local community perceptions of the World Heritage nomination process for the Ningaloo Coast region of Western Australia. Coastal Management, 44(2), 139-155.

Lee, S., Phau, I., Hughes, M., Li, YF. and Quintal, V. (2015) Heritage tourism in Singapore Chinatown: a perceived value approach to authenticity and satisfaction. Journal of Travel andTourism Marketing. published online, DOI: 10.1080/10548408.2015.107545.

Alkahtani, S.J.H, Xia J., Veenendaaland, B., Caulfield, C. and Hughes, M. (2015) Building a conceptual framework for determining individual differences of accessibility to tourist attractions. Tourism Management Perspectives, 16, 28-42.

Catlin, J., Hughes, M., Jones, T. and Jones, R. (2014) White sharks in Western Australia: threat or opportunity? J. Ecotourism, 13(2-3), 159-169.

Catlin, J., Campbell, R., Hughes, M., Jones, T. and Jones, R. (2013) Keeping perspective on using tourism values for conservation – reply to Vianna. Biological Conservation, 166, 303.

Catlin, J. Hughes, M. and Jones, T., Jones, R. and Campbell, R. (2013) Valuing individual animals through tourism: science or speculation? Biological Conservation, 157, 93-98.

Filep, S., Hughes, M., Mostafanezhad, M. and Wheeler, F. (2013) Generation Tourism: Towards a Common Identity. Current Issues in Tourism, 18(6), 511-523.

Hughes, M. and Bennett, D. (2013) Survival skills: the impact of change and the ERA on Australian researchers. Higher Education Research and Development Journal, 32, 1-15.

Hughes, M., Tye, M. and Jones, R. (2013) Whose Land is it Anyway? Contesting Urban Fringe Nature-based Tourism and Recreation in Western Australia. Tourism Recreation Research, 38(1), 29-42.

Hughes, M. (2012) Blending a heritage of recreation and tourism with conservation of natural heritage: An example from Penguin Island, Western Australia. J. Heritage Tourism, 7(1), 1-11.

Hughes, M. Weiler, B. and Curtis, J. (2012) What’s the problem? River management, education and public beliefs.  Ambio, 41(7), 709-719.

Hughes, M. and Carlsen, J. (2011) National park user pays systems in Australia. Cost recovery vs access for all?  Journal of Tourism and Leisure Studies, 17, 129-146

Research and Technical Reports

Hughes, M., Smith, A. and Tuffin, M. (2016) Bibbulmun Track user survey. A report for WA Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Bibbulmun Track Foundation, WA.

Hughes, M. (2014) The Swan-Canning Riverpark commercial recreational activities management project Stage 3: review of visitor monitoring methods. A report for the Swan River Trust. Perth, Western Australia.

Hughes, M., Carlsen, J. and Smith, J. (2014) The Swan-Canning Riverpark commercial recreational activities management project Stage 2: Point Walter and Melville Beach pilot study. A report for the Swan River Trust, City of Melville and WA Department of Transport.

Hughes, M., Carlsen, C. and Smith, J. (2014) The Swan-Canning Riverpark commercial recreational activities management project Stage : Review of carrying capacity indicators and issues. A report for the Swan River Trust, City of Melville and WA Department of Transport

Hughes, M. and Tye, M. (2013) Recreation access to land Phase 2b: Development of a hypothetical scenario workshop on managing recreation access to land in Western Australia. A report for the Department of Sport and Recreation WA, Perth.  2013

Hughes, M., Tye. M., Costello, D. and Pinkus, E. (2012) Right to roam phase 2: recreation access to land policy and management in WA. A report for the WA Department of Sport and Recreation. October, 2012.

Hughes, M. and Heckbert, S. (2012) A review of land use scenario modelling tools. Report for the WA Department of Planning, Perth Western Australia. May, 2012.

Jones, T., Wood, D., Hughes, M., Deery, M., Fredline, L., Jones, R., Fulton, B., Pham, T., Pambudi, D., Dwyer, L., Spurr, R., Chapman, K., Lewis, A., Chandler P. and Catlin, J. (2011) Ningaloo Collaboration Cluster: Socio-economics of tourism. Final Report #3, CSIRO, and Sustainable Tourism CRC, Australia.

Hughes, M. and Smith, A. (2011) Munda Biddi Trail user survey report. Report for WA Dept of Environment and Conservation and Munda Biddi Trail Foundation. Perth, WA. June 2011.

Lewis, A., Hughes, M. and Jones, T.  (2011) A comparison of preferred campsite attributes and activities among Ningaloo coast remote campers.  Report for CSIRO.  Canberra, Australia