Staff Profiles

As a Targeted Curtin Research Fellow I work on a range of contracted and grant funded research projects including regional development, tourism and recreation policy and management and behavioural psychology related topics. My multidisciplinary and applied research background means that I work with a range of groups including state and local government, NGOs and community groups. These projects focus on providing practical outputs and solutions for policy and management related issues.  The research also forms the basis for a range of publications including academic journals and book chapters, various conference, workshop and seminar presentations to a range of audiences and technical reports to client groups. I also supervise postgraduate students and do the odd guest lecture and workshop at Curtin University.

Prior to my current appointment, I was awarded a 3 year Centre of Excellence Research Fellowship at Curtin University in association with the Sustainable Tourism CRC from 2004-2007. Before that I tutored and lectured in tourism and environmental management at Murdoch University and the University of Notre Dame, Australia.

• Environmental Sociology
• tourism and recreation policy and management
• tourism development
• valuing places
• measuring beliefs, attitudes and perceptions
• strategic communication and behaviour management
• protected area management
• nature based tourism
• regional development

Recent projects include:

• Outdoor active recreation access to land: policy and management
• Review of recreation in public drinking water catchments.
• Review of opportunities and threats regarding construction of an onshore LNG processing plant in the West Kimberley region
• Munda Biddi cycle trail user expenditure survey
• Economic contribution of the Swan-Canning Riverpark, Western Australia
• Economic contribution of Tasmanian national parks
• Valuing Queensland national parks
• Estimating the social, economic and environmental values of Australian protected areas
• Development and sustainability in the Ningaloo Region of Western Australia.
• Tourism potential of the WA Gascoyne-Murchison Rangeland
• Mapping recreation use of the Southern Darling region, Western Australia
• Using communication to influence domestic fertilizer use in the Swan Canning River system.
• Optimizing use of strategic communication in Australian protected areas to influence visitor problem behaviours
• Best practice user pays systems in protected areas.

In previous employment at the University of Notre Dame, Australia (1998-2002), I developed, coordinated and delivered the following 1st, 2nd and 3rd year units as part of the Environmental Studies program:

• Environmental Ethics and Policy
• Laboratory and Field Methods
• Foundations of Environmental Education
• Natural Resource Management
• Introduction to the Biological Sciences
• Conservation Principles

As a tutor at Murdoch University (2001-2004) I taught the following units

• Introduction to Tourism Systems
• Nature Based Tourism
• Australian Environmental Issues

I am currently an associate PhD supervisor

I also run workshops on the emotional journey of research as part of the Humanities postgraduate workshop program and in conjunction with an annual international tourism and hospitality research and education conference (CAUTHE).

• Expert panel  member: Swan River Trust Advisory Panel
• Invited expert member: Southern Darling Regional Recreation Strategy Team, WA Dept of Sport and Recreation
• Executive Committee Member,  Council for Australian University Tourism and Hospitality Education (CAUTHE)
• Committee Member,  Forum for Advocating Cultural and Ecotourism (FACET)
• Panel Member, Nature Based Recreation and Tourism Research Reference Group

Books (Authored, Research)

• Chapman, K, Pambudi, D, Spurr, R, Fredline, L, Lewis, A, Hughes, M, Fulton, B, Wood, D, Dwyer, L, Chandler, P, Tien, P, Catlin, J, Jones, T, Jones, R, and Deery , M. 2011. Ningaloo collaboration cluster: Socio-economics of tourism. Western Australia: CSIRO and Curtin University.
• Lewis, A, Jones, R, Pambudi, D, Catlin, J, Chandler, P, Chapman, K, Wood, D, Dwyer, L, Deery , M, Fredline, L, Jones, T, Spurr, R, Hughes, M, Pham, T, and Fulton, B. 2011. Ningaloo Collaboration Cluster: Socioeconomics of Tourism. Hobart, Australia: CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship.

Book Chapters (Authored, Research Quality)

• Hughes, M, and Ingram, C. 2011. Recreational access to urban water supplies. In Water Policy, Tourism, and Recreation: Lessons from Australia., eds Crase, L. and O'keefe, S., 132-147. Milton Park, UK: RFF Press.
• Carlsen, J, and Hughes, M. 2009. Tourism market recovery in the Maldives after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. In Safety and security in tourism: recovery marketing after crises, eds Scott, N., Laws, E. and Prideaux, B., 139-150. Milton Park, Arbingdon, UK: Routledge.
• Macbeth, J, and Hughes, M. 2005. The Woodland and the Wheatbelt: Tourism Partners in Dryandra Country. In Regional Tourism Cases: innovation in regional tourism, eds Dean Carson and Jim Macbeth, 77-90. Altona, Victoria, Australia: Common Ground Publishing.

Refereed Articles (Scholarly Journals)

• Hughes, M. 2011. Blending a heritage of recreation and tourism with conservation of natural heritage: An example from Penguin Island, Western Australia. Journal of Heritage Tourism 0(0): 1-11.
• Carlsen, J, and Hughes, M. 2010. The business of cultural heritage tourism: critical success factors. Journal of Heritage Tourism 5(1): 17-32.
• Brown, T, Hughes, M, and Ham, S. 2010. Picking up litter: an application of theory based communication to influence tourist behaviour in protected areas. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 18(7): 879-900.
• Jones, R, and Hughes, M. 2010. From productivism to multi-functionality in the Gascoyne–Murchison Rangelands of Western Australia. The Rangeland Journal 32(2): 175-185.
• Hughes, M, Munro, J, and Morrison Saunders, A. 2008. Environmental interpretation evaluation in natural areas. Journal of Ecotourism 7(1): 1-14.
• Hughes, M, and Carlsen, J. 2008. Human-wildlife interaction guidelines in Western Australia. Journal of Ecotourism 7(2&3): 142-154.
• Hughes, M, and Carlsen, J. 2008. A pathway to minimal impact wildlife viewing?. Tourism Review International 11(3): 205-212.
• Annandale, D, Morrison Saunders, A, and Hughes, M. 2007. Measuring the impact of voluntary environmental protection instruments: perceptual versus archival techniques.. International Journal of Environment, Workplace, and Employment 3(1): 1-14.
• Carlsen, J, and Hughes, M. 2007. Tourism market recovery in the Maldives after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing 23(2,3,4): 139-149.
• Wood, D, and Hughes, M. 2006. Tourism accommodation and economic contribution on the Ningaloo Coast of Western Australia. Tourism and hospitality planning & development 3(2): 77-88.
• Hughes, M, Macbeth, J, and Newsome, D. 2005. Case Study: Visitor Perceptions of Captive Wildlife Tourism in a Western Australian Natural Setting. Journal of Ecotourism 4(2): 73-91.
• Hughes, M, and Morrison Saunders, A. 2005. Influence of on-site interpretation intensity on visitors to natural areas. Journal of Ecotourism 4(3): 161-177.
• Morrison Saunders, A, and Hughes, M. 2005. Interpretation, activity participation and environmental attitudes of visitors to Penguin Island, Western Australia. Society and Natural Resources 18(7): 611-624.
• Macbeth, J, and Hughes, M. 2005. Can a Niche-Market Captive-Wildlife Facility Place a Low Profile Region on the Tourism Map? An Example from Western Australia.. Tourism Geographies 7(4): 424-443.
• Morrison Saunders, A, and Hughes, M. 2003. Visitors attitudes toward a modified natural attraction. Society and Natural Resources 16(3): 191-203.
• Morrison Saunders, A, and Hughes, M. 2002. Impact of trailside interpretive signs on visitor knowledge. Journal of Ecotourism 1(2): 122-132.
• Morrison Saunders, A, and Hughes, M. 2002. Repeat and first time visitation in an experience specific context: The Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk. Journal of Tourism Studies 13(1): 20-25.

Fully written papers (Refereed Conference proceedings)

• Carlsen, J, and Hughes, M. 2010. Limits to tourism and recreation in water catchments. 20th Annual Council of Australian Universities for Tourism and Hospitality Education Conference, 09/02/2010. Hobart, Tasmania: University of Tasmania.
• Hughes, M, and Carlsen, J. 2009. Developing a knowledge platform on value of parks for tourism. BEST EN Think Tank IX: The importance of values in sustainable tourism, 14/06/2009. James Cook University Campus, Singapore: University of Technology, Sydney.
• Hughes, M, Crilley, G, and Carlsen, J. 2009. Towards a good practice user pays system for Australian protected areas. 18th CAUTHE conference: See Change: Tourism and Hospitality in a Dynamic World., 10/02/2009. Fremantle, Western Australia: Promaco.
• Carlsen, J, Peel, V, Frost , W, Pocock, C, and Hughes, M. 2007. Key success factors and information availability in cultural heritage tourism attractions. 17th annual Council for Australian University Tourism and Hospitality Education Conference, 11/02/2007. Manly, Australia: University of Technology Sydney.
• Carlsen, J, and Hughes, M. 2006. A Review of the Department of Conservation and Land Management Human-Wildlife Interaction Guidelines in Western Australia.. "Getting Real About Wildlife Tourism" The 2nd Australian Wildlife Tourism Conference, 13/08/2006. Fremantle, Australia: Promaco Conventions Pty Ltd.
• Wood, D, Hughes, M, and Carlsen, J. 2006. Measuring the Economic Value of Cultural Heritage Tourism in Two Western Australian Cities. CAUTHE 2006 Conference "to the city and beyond...", 06/02/2006. Melbourne, Australia: Victoria University.
• Hughes, M, Annandale, D, and Morrison Saunders, A. 2004. A comparison of archival versus perceptual measurement of the impact of voluntary environmental instruments on corporate environmental performance.. 24th Annual Conference, International Association for Impact Assessment, 24/04/2004. Vancouver, Canada: International Association for Impact Assessment..
• Carlsen, J, and Hughes, M. 2004. Case study: nature based tour operator attitudes toward the government licensing system in Western Australia. New Zealand Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference, 01/12/2004. Wellington, New Zealand: Victoria University.