Tourism

Denis Tolkach

Associate Professor, Tourism and Hospitality Management
denis.tolkach@jcu.edu.au

Gianna Moscardo

Professor of Tourism
gianna.moscardo@jcu.edu.au

Townsville Tourism Growth Initiative (Old ID 26634)

Jenny Panchal

16 Sep 2019 - 31 Jul 2022

The aim of the Townsville Regional Visitor Survey would be to form a cooperative of regional tourism business to build a research tool that provides local tourism businesses and destination stakeholders with access to data on the profiles, preferences and satisfaction of visitors to the Townsville region. It would also provide specific information on the performance of tourism products and industry sectors within visitor markets. This localised information would be specific to the needs of Townsville businesses and would supplement the data collected through International Visitor Surveys/National Visitor Surveys from Tourism Research Australia.

Innovative Agri-Tourism an Entrepreneurial Acumen

Jenny Panchal

30 Jul 2025 - 30 Jan 2026

We are applying for additional funding for our project that was approved with CITBA with 50% revised budget. We have been successful in securing a competitive grant under the 2025 CITBA Small Grant Scheme. The approval of our project by CITBA serves as a strong endorsement of its methodological rigour, theoretical soundness, and practical relevance. This recognition not only affirms the quality of our research design and ethical standards but also highlights the project's potential to contribute meaningful insights and impact within our field of study. As we work through the final details of our research proposal, we have realized that the originally approved miscellaneous budget of $1000 will not be sufficient. We had initially requested $3500 under this category to accommodate several essential components of our fieldwork. Many of the agrotourism farms we plan to visit require paid entry, which significantly contributes to the overall cost. Additionally, as outlined in our proposal, we intend to offer small incentives to tourists, farm owners, and other stakeholders who participate in interviews and data collection activities. On behalf of my collaborators, I would like to respectfully request that Internal grant approval committee considers approving an additional $1150 to support this work. This funding will greatly enhance our ability to carry out more comprehensive and inclusive data collection across the field sites.

Agrotourism and Innovation

Jenny Panchal

01 Jul 2025 - 31 Dec 2025

This project is approved with CITBA. This project examines how Agri-tourism acts as a transformative rural development model, fostering self-reliant, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable communities. Grounded in sustainable development, endogenous growth, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and social capital theories, it aims to: 1. To investigate the impact of Agri-tourism hub on employment, income generation and sustainable development of the community. 2. To develop a sustainable business framework integrating agriculture, culture, and tourism