Experiences from the Strahan Visitor Centre, Tasmania

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to identify the key element in Tasmanian interpretive visitor center planning and design. The chapter begins by describing visitor centers in the Tasmanian context and the role of interpretation. The Strahan Visitor Center is introduced next, followed by a description of its interpretive experience. The next section details the research strategy adopted. Key informant interviews are used as a base on which to overlay the case study results and discussion. The discussion is made up of seven main sections and begins by introducing the proposition that interpretation within visitor centers is fundamentally a secondary visitor experience. This is followed by a brief review of how interpretation should be promoted in visitor centers. The chapter concludes by highlighting a number of factors contributing to more sustainable interpretive visitor centers and the implications of the findings for future research.