MEASURING THE VALUE OF HISTORIC TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
A CASE STUDY OF THE VICTOR HARBOR HORSE TRAM
Dr Laura Hodgson
The Victor Harbor Horse Tram ( VHHT ) is located in the coastal town of Victor Harbor , 90 minutes south of Adelaide . Victor Harbor is a popular family holiday and retirement location and has a resident population of approximately 15,000 ( Economy ID 2019 ). The VHHT operates along a tram rail extending from Victor Harbor across the Granite Island Causeway ( the Causeway ) to Granite Island . The VHHT commenced operation as a passenger tram in 1894 until 1955 , before returning to operation in 1986 ( Bird , Wilson & Bunker 1999 ).
Today , the VHHT is an iconic and award winning , historic tourist attraction for the City of Victor Harbor ( CVH ) and is one of only two horse drawn trams in operation worldwide . The VHHT is the primary form of transport along the Causeway to Granite Island other than walking . A State Government funded Causeway , purpose built for the VHHT opened in December 2021 , replacing the original Causeway to Granite Island .
The VHHT receives financial support from the CVH , allowing it to operate as an all-season tourist attraction . The VHHT is operated as a CVH subsidiary ( section 42 of the Local Government Act 1999 ). Its daily operations are overseen by a General Manager ; whilst its strategic operations are guided by the VHHT Authority Board . The VHHT currently employs four full time equivalent staff members , 13 trained drivers ( employed casually ), four volunteers and five Clydesdales , a further four horses in training .
The deteriorating condition of the original Causeway significantly impacted the VHHT ’ s ability to operate , and other local businesses reported a downturn in trade . These challenges raised questions regarding the VHHT economic value to the region and its value as a historic tourist attraction .
The VHHT Board and management were highly motivated to reduce reliance on CVH funding and to demonstrate the
VHHT ’ s value and potential for growth . Tourism , particularly cultural and historical tourism , including First Nations and colonial history , is becoming an increasingly important source of income for regional and rural communities ( Gilbert 2006 ). Research , however , has emphasised economic benefits are not always clear ( Torre & Scarborough 2017 ), finding that ‘ value is not synonymous with price ’ ( Stoeckl et al . 2011 , p . 114 ).
The VHHT research was commissioned to investigate the economic and historic value of the VHHT and provide recommendations to enhance its value . First , a literature review was conducted to examine how different tourist attractions and events are valued in Australia and internationally . Studies conducted on permanent , seasonal and one time tourist attractions were investigated . This included reviewing existing methods for analysing the economic and social value of tourist attractions and government funded
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