Tourism, Security and Safety From Theory to Practice

Legal environment 
Site 
permits 
Guide 
qualifications 
Duty of care
Operating 
regulations 
Health and 
safety 
Licensing 
Trade 
practices 
Legal 
remedies 
Accreditation by industry 
Standards; safety codes; 
employee certification; training; 
insurance; communication 
Local 
economy 
Public 
policy 
Injury patterns 
Incidents; 
participation rates; 
risk factors; cost 
Operator 
Risk, safety, and crisis 
management; employee 
competence; local 
knowledge; profit motive; 
insurance; marketing 
Participant 
Payment; motivation; 
expectations; skill 
level; risk & control 
perceptions; psych./ 
social factors 
Setting 
Inherent risk; 
dynamic nature; 
hazard 
indicators 
Zones of operator 
indirect 
concern 
Zone of operator 
direct 
influence 
Client experiences 
Positive – 
Client 
satisfied 
Negative – 
Injury or 
psych. 
damage 
Figure 1
Commercial adventure tourism operating environment.
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health system and health researchers (to identify injury patterns), and the wider
community (in the public policy process).
Although legal responsibilities rest elsewhere, operators must nevertheless
adhere to mandatory requirements of legislation and common law (or face the legal
consequences). Many of these legal requirements that concern commercial adven-
ture operators are listed in the outer zone of Figure 1. Similarly, operators should
remain cognizant of non-mandatory aspects represented in the inner zone of con-
cern (Figure 1). Indeed, operators will benefit through accreditation standards and
practices and also gain a better understanding of the operation of specific risk fac-
tors in adventure activities through injury reporting and research.
The three elements that combine in providing the client’s experience (the oper-
ator, the participant, and the setting) are within the operator’s zone of influence
(Figure 1). The operator carries direct responsibility for managing these aspects to
provide appropriate client outcomes (depicted in Figure 1 as either a positive or a
negative client experience).
Fortunately, client outcomes from adventure tourism experiences will usually be
positive. Improvements to product quality and professional delivery will ensure
that clients will continue to experience satisfying adventures into the future. This
predicted trend is supported through the continued efforts made by industry bod-
ies to improve operator practices (with some of these initiatives discussed earlier
in this chapter). Nevertheless, recognition by operators and industry representa-
tives of the aspects and attendant links within the risk management operating envi-
ronment will aid in the delivery of suitable adventure products.