What are the different viewpoints or perspectives regarding the issue?
There are a lot of different perspectives that people have on this issue. The aboriginal people, the government and the tourism industry, tourists and environmentalists all have different perspectives. The perspectives they have include cultural, economic and environmental.
Aboriginal people:
The Anangu people (the aboriginals) don't want tourists climbing Uluru. They have a cultural perspective. There are a few reasons why they don't want tourists climbing Uluru. One reason is because Uluru is sacred to them. They believe that during the time when the land was being formed, beings would arrive at Uluru and climb it. Uluru is a part of their stories which have been passed down from generation to generation. This is why Uluru is sacred to them. So they want to protect Uluru by asking people not to climb it and to respect their culture and law. Another reason why the aboriginals don't want tourists climbing Uluru is because many people get injured or die climbing it . They get very upset that people get injured or die visiting their land. This is another reason why they don't want tourists climbing Uluru.
Government and the Tourism Industry:
Government and the Tourism Industry:
The Government and Tourism Industry want tourists to continue to climb Uluru. They have an Economic perspective. This is because it brings in a lot of money Over 400,000 tourists visit Uluru each year, this benefits the region and the whole of Australia economically. They think that if tourists are not allowed to climb Uluru anymore that it will have a huge impact on the government and the tourism industry.
Tourists:
Tourists:
The majority of tourists wouldn't mind if they were not allowed to climb Uluru, however some want to be able to climb it. Most tourists (about 98%) would still go to Uluru even if they weren't allowed to climb it (found out through a review conducted in 2007 for the Director of National Parks). Most tourists preferred other activities such as experiencing aboriginal art, listening to an aboriginal guide or visiting a cultural centre. However there are some tourists (about 2%) that would be disappointed if they were not allowed to climb.
Environmentalists:
Environmentalists:
Environmentalists don't want tourists climbing Uluru. They have an environmental perspective. They think that the tourists are ruining the environment. There are no bins on the top of Uluru so when people climb it they leave their rubbish on the ground. There are also no toilets on the top of Uluru so a lot of people just go toilet anywhere. As well as this because tourists climb the rock, the rock is eroding and its size will decrease. Environmentalists believe that these things are not good for Uluru because they are bad for the environment and will eventually destroy Uluru. This is why Environmentalists don't want tourists climbing Uluru.