Tourism, Security and Safety From Theory to Practice

Linking Aspects within the Commercial Adventure Tourism
Operating Environment
The objective of this chapter was to provide a practical model that encompasses
aspects within the risk management operating environment. Figure 1 draws
together the aspects relevant to commercial adventure tourism that have been dis-
cussed in this chapter. The figure is intended to represent features common to the
majority of operations in the commercial adventure tourism industry. Of course,
the industry is highly diverse in the types of activities offered, the nature of the
physical settings, type of clothing and equipment, the activity duration, and the tar-
get markets. This diversity should be considered when designing risk management
strategies specific to different categories of adventurous activities and also be
informed through the seven-step process of risk management described by
Standards Australia (1999). Furthermore, the scope of this chapter does not permit
a full evaluation of all the aspects contained in Figure 1 (e.g., marketing).
Interested readers are directed to the listed references at the close of this chapter
(e.g., market aspects relevant to the industry are discussed by Fluker and Turner,
2000).
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In Figure 1, the aspects relevant to commercial adventure tourism are parti-
tioned into discrete zones, loosely based on Covey’s (1990) circles of influence and
concern. The individual adventure operator does not have direct responsibility for
aspects situated in the two 
zones of concern
(Figure 1). Rather, this is the concern
of legislators (in the legal environment), industry bodies (for accreditation), the
Risk Management for Australian Commercial Adventure Tourism Operations
163