Posts Tagged ‘nz inc’
NZx: wildlife, us and our motivations
Nau mai!
Late, last summer in Coastal Otago; hoiho and visitors mixing in a small area of reserve land in a natural landscape. No interpreters present, and “common sense” guidelines being ignored by some.
With increasing number of visitors travelling to more remote places the potential threat to endangered wildlife is incrementally increasing. What drive visitors to seek wildlife interactions?
Considering the importance of this question there is a lack of recent research that suggests motivations and potential mitigation of any issue. One key study undertaken(in New Zealand and Australia) by CRC Tourism sets some important benchmarks in understanding, and thereby managing, visitors expectations.
Surveys asked visitors to rate how important opportunities to see wildlife are in their holiday travel decisions. Overall:
- 20% said that the opportunity to view wildlife is one of the most important factors in their travel decisions(most important decision factor);
- 51% said that opportunity to view wildlife is included as part of their travel decisions (one decision factor);
- 28% said that viewing wildlife is not included as part of their travel decisions, but they enjoy seeing wildlife while on holidays (not a decision factor)
Those interviewed were asked how could the wildlife experience be improved. Key responses included:
- see more wildlife – number, variety and different aspects of
- have more time/improve the timing and logistics of tours
- have more interaction with wildlife
- improve visitor management, in particular, to have fewer visitors/smaller groups
- enhanced interpretation, both guide knowledge and non personal
Across a range of sites in both countries people seeking wildlife interactions were likely to be/have: older, have higher levels of education, stay longer, travel further, spend more, higher education levels and incomes, independent travellers, younger, female, younger, independent, use the internet for information, stay longer in the region.
Key themes around visitor satisfaction with wildlife experiences was higher for visitors who: learnt more about wildlife, rated their most memorable wildlife encounter as exciting, rated their most memorable wildlife encounter as natural ,place greater importance on seeing wildlife on holiday, are tour participants, are female, seek wildlife encounters in natural, environment, desire wildlife encounters with knowledgeable guides or staff present, and saw an animal for the first time in real life.
There is guidance in this research. Clues and actions we could take to better manage the interactions noted in the first paragraph.
In previous blogs we have touched on the importance of interpretation as the key facilitator of empowering better wildlife interactions, the need for companies to improve their social license to operate, and threats to our rare and endangered wildlife.
Wildlife interactions are a key plank of tourism in New Zealand /Aotearoa. We need enhanced research on wildlife interactions and agreed approaches to enhancing the visitor experience, and protecting the uncertain future of many of our natural taonga, across the country.
We need big picture, long term, balanced, decision making.
Ka kite ano
Malcolm
Four week old “Pounamu” born and bred on Maungatautari
NZx: May 29th – a taxing question
Naumai
If you’re are linked into tourism, in any form, you will be aware that there are a number of key issues facing the industry ahead of increasing visitor numbers. There have been many calls for increased funding for the sector, both at national and regional levels, to address infrastructure and conservation related issues arising from tourism.
Good summaries of the issue can be found here and here.
Currently international tourism remains New Zealand’s largest export earner and it was responsible for a fifth of earnings from all exports of goods and services. Tourism accounted for 5.6 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) and directly employs 230,793 people or 8.4 percent of the workforce. Currently the Government receives $1.5b in GST from international visitors, with a further $1.8b collected from domestic visitors.
The tourism leaders report (2016) suggests a National Tourism Infrastructure Levy be created comprising of a 2% national bed levy across the accommodation sector and a $5 increase to the border levy which would raise $65 million per annum from the industry.
Treasury’s view on any new tax is not supportive suggesting “that (there is no evidence) a border or bed tax meets the burden of proof for departing from BBLR (broad-base low-rate) principles”.
The latest in a myriad of comments on the tax issue come from Minister of Tourism, Kelvin Davis, who while at TRENZ, was forthright in saying the future is in a “levy on international visitors”.
Of course whichever side of the debate you support, the issue becomes more complex with TLA’s pushing and in some cases implementing “bed” tax. Currently Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown , Dunedin and Hawkes Bay are all pushing for, discussing, or in Auckland’s case legislating for, such a tax.
At the time of writing Rakiura/Stewart Island is the only destination to use a similar mechanism (visitor levy fee) although other entities such as Milford Sound Development Authority include a levy in all passenger cruise fees.
The key ingredient missing in the discussion is the major risk of an uncoordinated approach to fixing both infrastructure and conservation based issues. We have previously discussed the risks to tourism of uncoordinated approaches to sustainability and a social license to operate.
One thing a visitor (international or domestic) does not need is an arrival levy/tax and then varying provincial “bed” taxes – none of which are either consistent, efficient to administer or designed to solve the myriad of different issues specific to different places that make up New Zealand/Aotearoa.
Ka kite ano
NZx: November 26th Sustainable tourism
Naumai
It was heartening, if with a strong sense of deja vu, to see the tourism industry (re) start a process to ensure economic, environmental, host community, and visitor satisfaction and engagement, drive the future of sustainable tourism in New Zealand.
We have of course been here before with initiatives such as Green Globe and Environmental Plans. These initiatives, while driven locally, had a global context and more importantly measured success towards publicly stated goals. Poor decision making and lack of integration resulted in a lost opportunity for the industry and the weakly positioned environmental initiative in the form of the original Qualmark.
You can read more about this current sustainable tourism initiative here: http://sustainabletourism.nz/assets/Uploads/FINAL-TIA-SUSTAINABILITY-BOOK-17.0-web-spreads.pdf
In a sense there’s nothing really new here. The approach is the industry’s response to rapid growth, increasing public concerns about international visitor numbers, effects of tourism on local communities and the environment and ensuring tourism businesses are economically successful. All sensible and admirable goals – if not a little overdue.
Over the years such initiatives have been met with initial support, particularly amongst the larger tourism entities – check out the current list of supporters here. Many other entities will undoubtedly sign up, driven by a mixture of opportunity, marketing push/pull, desire to stay ahead of the pack and some through genuine commitment.
As Fonterra has found their nearly tw0 year old public relations campaign has meet with mixed reaction. Some see through it as typical pr speak , while others believe it has a role to play in ensuring the dairy industries future in an increasingly skeptical New Zealand.
While not suggesting the campaign is no more than tourism’s version of pr speak it will take more than this initiative to make a difference. More needs to be done with both Central Government and Local Government to ensure all parties commitments are in alignment.
Of course it is local communities that drive a lot of input into both forms of Government. We have previously commented on tourism social license to operate in previous blogs.
The 14 commitments are big on the right words but light on measuring and reporting on success, other than financial.
Hopefully this tourism initiative will be both sustainable, wide reaching and effective!
Ka kite ano
Cruising Piopiotahi /Milford Sound
NZx – October 31st : delivering on the promise
Naumai
It’s that time of the year again.Hopefully you have your team in place, well trained and ready to go!
Recently we took part in a discussion with Tai Poutini Polytechnic, employers and others associated with tourism on the West Coast. We discussed the opportunities and issues that involve training those involved in tourism.
Much of the discussion was based on the qualities of a guide. How do you take someone that may have all the necessary technical skill (i.e. hard) but needs coaching on the (so called “softer”) skills of guiding i.e. people management ? I think there was general agreement in the group that the biggest need was in the latter. For example how do you mentor an eighteen year old to lead, inspire, entertain and enlighten a 60 year old visitor from another country?
In this blog we look at some some of the qualities we should be training just about anyone involved in tourism, but particularly guides.
Charm / ātahu
Every person in your group is looking for information and more importantly, entertainment, from their guide. Remember we are now an entertainment centric society. A guide should always be constantly looking for opportunities to charm and involve your group in doing things, rather than just listening.
An active C drive / mātau
You may of course be a very charming person but if you don’t have the mātau then your’e on the back foot from the start. Yes you need to know facts, figures and anything else somebody on a tour might ask you. You also need to be prepared to find an answer and get back to people. Make sure you engage with everyone in the group and facilitate discussion between the group.
Stories / tito
Visitors (some) love hearing facts behind the topic of interest e.g. Tane Mahuta, but above all visitors love their guide to share a personal story about the topic. Stories engage people’s minds and more importantly hearts. Facts alone do not.
Organisation and flexibility / nahanaha
You need to be super organised and flexible if you want to be a great guide. The group will have certain expectations about what the are expecting to see. You need to deliver on those, and make sure your timing for pre-booked events is perfect. At the same time you need to be flexible. If an attraction is suddenly closed you need to find an alternative!
Humour / whakataka
Your visitors are on holiday; they want to be entertained. That includes the use of humour. It’s a skill to be developed but can ease a difficult situation, reassure visitors, make them laugh and add real value to a situation. While jokes are part of this, the most important part is you as the leader facilitating the humour in an appropriate way.
Empathy / aroha
You can be assured that somewhere, sometime, when you have a group something will happen to someone in the group. It may be lost luggage, bad news from back home, a cultural issue,or any myriad of issues. In this situation aroha will get you a long way, make your guests feel valued and can assist in solving the issue.
You can read some other interesting views of the qualities that make a great guide, and a tourism host, here and here!
Ka kite ano
Malcolm
Guiding at Maungatautari
NZx – August 22nd: A social license to operate
Naumai
Continued growth in New Zealand tourism is raising questions over it’s social license to operate. As Tourism Aotearoa states ” Tourism will only achieve our Tourism 2025 aspirational goal if we maintain and enhance our social licence to operate. We are encouraging tourism operators to recognise the importance of growing their businesses in a way which balances the economic, social and environmental impacts.”
There is no widely accepted definition of a social license to operate (SLO). However a recent paper by the Sustainable Business Council suggests key attributes include:
Ka kite ano
Just what is tourism’s social license to operate in NZ?
NZx – June 29th: water, water everywhere…..
Naumai
Water, water everywhere so whats the issue…….?
A recent visit to Waireinga/Bridal Veil Falls, revealed a deeply discoloured waterway, with warning signs about the quality of the water, and danger to swimmers. Standing in the midst of 217 ha Wairēinga Scenic Reserve, surrounded by tawa-dominated forest, watching the water flow over 55 metres basalt cliffs, one wonders how this could happen in New Zealand.
There is good work being done in parts of the catchment. Over 8kms of native planting in an area upstream of the waterfall has been completed as part of a local initiative coordinated by Whaingaroa Harbour Care.
Water is already to be established as a key component of this years elections. A recent survey by Lincoln University (8th Public Perceptions of New Zealand’s Environment) canvassed New Zealander’s views about aspects of the environment .
The worst managed environments were perceived to be rivers, lakes, and groundwater, largely on account of very negative perceptions concerning the management of farm effluent and runoff. In fact, nearly 60 percent of respondents deemed farming to be one of the three main causes of damage to freshwater.
In a separate report, Our fresh water environment 2017, found nearly three quarters of native freshwater fish species are threatened by or at risk of extinction, as well as a third of native freshwater invertebrates and a third of native freshwater plants.
All of these reports raise the current issues, but also note the lack of data, and that the snapshot doesn’t take into account the slow movement through aquifers – such as those in Canterbury. The real impact on communities in these area may take many years to surface.
Both New Zealand’s leading export industries, tourism and farming, need to better manage their social license to operate in the environmental space. Water quality, the wider environment and sustainability are discussions (and subsequent actions) that need to form a key part of the this years conversations.
Ka kite ano
Waireinga/Bridal Veil Falls
NZx – May 30th: alternative facts
Naumai
The recent public debate (which is full of alternative facts) about Auckland’s proposed bed tax highlights the gaps between local and central government funding, and the lack of understanding as to how tourism adds benefits and costs to all aspects of the New Zealand economy.
Many people have a view on the tax but only a few reflect the facts. Tourism Industry Aotearoa, Chief Executive Chris Roberts says the commercial accommodation sector receives just 9% of the total visitor spend in Auckland source (Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment).
“The original targeted rate proposal was for 330 commercial property owners to pay the full cost of Council tourism and event promotion. The cost of that promotion is currently shared by every ratepayer in Auckland, residential and commercial.
“It is still not the fair share that Mayor Goff repeatedly talks about. The small targeted group receives around 7-8% of the total visitor spend in Auckland, and yet is being asked to pay 50% of promotion and event support.”
We note that in 2014 international and domestic visitors spent $ 66 million per day in New Zealand communities. Thats a fact.
Shamubeel Eaqub also believes the plan offers no clear alignment between costs and benefit. You can read his original article here http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/93272191/shamubeel-eaqub-bed-tax-reveals-local-government-flaws
With 2017 being an election year , one assumes there will soon be a large amount of alternative facts in circulation. Tourism will need to make sure it’s voice is united, clear and more importantly heard.
Ka kite ano 
NZx May 18th: differentation
Naumai
“Here I am a weather beaten and world weary traveller at the end of my journey of discovery through New Zealand.
Like everyone these days I’d ‘ done my homework before I came. I knew NZ isn’t 100% pure and untouched. It has one of the worlds worst records in terms of biodiversity loss. The quality of its streams and rivers is deteriorating. The loss of habitat over the last 300 years is sadly impressive.
I did come expecting to see and hear the stories of this place. I already knew that the introduced possum had caused significant damage to both habitat and endangered species. What I didn’t expect to hear was this story repeated at almost every location throughout my travels in wild New Zealand. I get the possum story and am frankly so over it! “
As providers and kaitiaki of NZ Inc we need to get our act together. We need to provide genuine, themed, regionally focused and integrated stories for travellers throughout New Zealand.
We don’t need to repeat the same story at every location.
We should focus on regionally based story telling that focus’s on the points of difference of that place.
Our visitors get the possum (and other repeating themes) story. The big picture NZ Inc stuff doesn’t need repeating at every location…!
Ka kite ano
Malcolm
tohora (blue whale)
NZx March 9th: guiding 101
Naumai
It has been great to get out and spend the last month travelling the country on the Oceanic Discoverer.
As well as getting the opportunity to lecture, guide, interpret and spend time with people from all around the world, you also get to experience NZ Inc from a visitors viewpoint.
We have previously posted on the need for interpreters to do the basics well. Essentially that is to have: well themed, entertaining, engaging and correct interpretation delivered in a passionate way to their visitors.
Over the last four weeks we have accompanied our visitors on some experiences offered by some of NZ’s leading tourism businesses. They do a great job of essentials such as: marketing, providing good equipment, and partially delivering on the promise.
Some don’t do a great job in the essential areas of visitor experiences. particularly guiding/interpretation. Specifically we endured: our guide continually standing at the front of the group and not being heard, our driver twice leaving us in a small van to carry out some personal business, a monotone lecture from another driver on bees which had nothing to do with the experience on offer and our guide (while knowing her material) being less than engaging.
Visitor’s on the Oceanic Discover come from all around the world, travel a long way and spend a lot of money to experience NZ. They have a great experience on the ship but some of our smaller land-based operators are delivering a less than 100% visitor experience.
Ka kite ano
Malcolm