Posts Tagged ‘tourism communities’
NZx January 27th: Northland / Te Tai Tokerau
Naumai
Northland /Te Tai Tokerau is a fantastic place. There are many icons to visit here; Tane Mahuta, Russell, Waitangi, Cape Reinga or any beach with golden sands, pohutakawa and sparking blue sea.
A recent visit to Northland enabled us to spend some time exploring both the icons and the back roads.
The icons are all there, service was mostly good but some of the infrastructure was looking decidedly tired and away from the icons – empty. Most of the tourism entities were either staffed by Caucasian or international transients. While hyped up with great marketing the cultural interaction was limited, oversold and didn’t address many of the basics of great visitor experiences.
Beyond the icons it wasn’t to hard to find another story. Hints of elitism, exclusion and then poverty and well… another world one which most New Zealanders aren’t aware of..
It’s sometimes useful to look beyond our initial impressions, and to reflect on how tourism could provide a positive contribution to all in it’s community.
Ka kite ano
Tane Mahuta – a Northland / Te Tai Tokerau icon
NZx October 14th : Crunch summer ahead
Naumai
All the indications are that this will be a crunch summer for tourism in New Zealand.
Reports suggest many accommodation providers are full, attractions run the risk of turning people away and transport providers (particularly rental providers) have invested in new stock.
The likelihood is that international visitors will be here in increasing numbers, particularly in iconic locations. Will that create a problem with New Zealand domestic visitors seeking the relatively uncrowded experience they have been accustomed too?
Ship Cove/Meretoto in Queen Charlotte Sound is a case in point. Easily accessible by scheduled boat services, private vessel and some international cruise ships, the iconic site maybe under threat from sheer numbers this summer. The track (and it certainly isn’t of a great standard) is often quiet but from November to March that changes. At any one time the narrow track can be full of visitors, both domestic and international, throughout the day. At what stage is the visitor experience compromised?
Solutions to this “nice to have” problem are complex. Tourism New Zealand is moving to focus marketing efforts on the shoulder season, the conversation around taxing international visitors is gaining momentum and both traditional media and social media are focusing on the opportunities.
Ka kite ano
Ship Cove / Meretoto, Marlborough Sounds
NZx 9th September: sustainable tourism in NZ communities
Naumai
With the focus on the Rugby World Cup it is probably an appropriate time to review just how sustainable many of our tourism communities are. What happens after the hype has died away?
There are parallels between the Cup, a new tourism venture or a new hot destination arriving on the scene with a hiss and a roar. Many precious dollars are spent on marketing and public relations. A year, maybe two or three at the most, and the venture or destination has either gone, disappeared or lost it’s former dominance.
Some ventures or communities even fail to recognise the inherent opportunity in their destination.
Sustainable tourism is all about engaging, measuring, re-inventing and celebrating the integration of a community’s visitor attributes.
While some might argue that NZ should focus on a straight commodity driven economy, we believe tourism is the most sustainable way forward for a small country at the bottom of the world, for a nation literally on the “edge”.
At last a group of us have developed an approach to determine the key elements for developing a sustainable tourism community. This practical framework has been trialed in two destinations and clearly outlines some pathways forward for both. Want to know more – contact us now!
Ka kite ano
Malcolm