Tourism industry looks to improve partnership

Tourism industry looks to improve partnership with NZ communities

21 August 2007

Minimising the impacts of tourism on a community – while recognising the value that visitors bring – will be a hot topic at next week’s Tourism Industry Conference 2007 (SKYCITY Convention Centre, Auckland, 29-30 August).
Local communities play a key role in the tourism industry through:

- their willingness to welcome and host visitors in their region
- investment in core utilities and infrastructure, and
- the management of regional natural resources.

Tourism brings economic and social benefits to communities, often in areas where few other industries exist. But some communities are concerned that too many visitors stretch ratepayer-funded infrastructure – water, sewerage, toilets, roads, car parks and public transport.

On this basis, local authorities, representing communities, are arguably the largest investor in tourism. Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey will cover some of these issues in his conference address, to be followed by a panel discussing ways tourism operations can better work with local communities to their mutual benefit. Panellists include Karori Wildlife Sanctuary CEO Nancy McIntosh-Ward, Mathew Begg of Central Otago District Council on the Otago Central Rail Trail and Footprints Waipoua operations manager Koro Carman from Northland.

A separate session at the conference will look at how to attract international and domestic visitors during the off-season.
The concentration of the majority of New Zealand’s visitors into a six month period is a concern that many people mentioned in feedback to the Draft New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015. It causes cash flow pressures and results in lower profits.

The line-up of conference speakers on the topic will offer a variety of
solutions and ideas on how to boost a community’s visitor numbers. They represent a range of sectors including marketing and promotion, conferences, regional tourism organisations (RTOs) and air travel.
Carl Muir of Tourism Coromandel will discuss how the Whitianga Scallop Festival (a Tourism Industry Awards 2007 finalist) successfully attracts thousands of visitors to the region at the end of winter, providing a $3 million boost.

Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) Chief Executive Fiona Luhrs says the tourism industry wants to build closer relationships with the communities in which it operates.

“Tourism doesn’t operate in isolation. Almost every individual, business and sector in New Zealand has some impact or influence on a visitor’s experience, whether directly or indirectly. By building better partnerships with communities, we will ensure tourism is delivering the types of outcomes they want,” she says.

For more details on the conference programme or to register, go to www.nztourismconference.co.nz

More than 250 people are expected to attend the Tourism Industry Conference, recognised as the most important annual forum for the tourism industry. The conference is managed by TIA, with support from key industry partners including the Ministry of Tourism and Tourism New Zealand.

The conference will conclude with the announcement of the Tourism Industry Awards 2007 winners, 7pm, 30 August, at the SKYCITY Convention Centre, Auckland. Visit www.tourismawards.co.nz for more details.

Key statistics about tourism:

- Tourism is the world's fastest growing industry
- New Zealand tourism arrivals have increased by 61% since 1999 to 2.4 million
- Forecast annual growth is 4% on average for at least the next five years
- Tourism is New Zealand's single largest export sector and contributed $8.3 billion dollars to the economy in the year ended March 2006. That is 19.2% of exports
- Domestic tourism contributes $10.3 billion to the economy each year
- Tourism directly and indirectly employs 10 percent of the work force. That is one in 10 jobs in New Zealand.
- Tourism represents 8.9% ($12.8 billion) of gross domestic product and generates $531 million in GST returns from international visitors each year. Tourism is the only export sector whose international clients pay GST.

ENDS

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