Korero Paku

In-brief news of interest to Maori tourism - from the files of Tourism Update

Repeat visitors are now the norm, rather than the exception, with only half of the international travelers questioned during a recent national survey saying they were on their first trip to New Zealand.

This means that the other half were here for a repeat visit, something that would not have been contemplated even five years ago.

While Aotearoa New Zealand was once seen as a destination those from other countries visited only once - due largely to its geographical location at the outer edge of the world - it’s isolation is now being seen as a great benefit.

As terrorism grips the northern hemisphere and with Australia named as one of the countries where an attack could be mounted at any time, New Zealand is increasingly being seen by those in Europe, Britain and North America as a safe haven in which to holiday. Hence the increase in numbers from those key tourism markets.

Flaxroots tourism operators have been encountering more international visitors on repeat trips to this country in recent years and that is now being borne out by the official surveys being conducted on behalf of Tourism New Zealand.

Such a trend - coupled with global promotion to the target segment now known as the Interactive Traveler - can only be beneficial for this country’s indigenous cultural tourism operators.

Many of the Maori tourism businesses are - by virtue of the fact that they are being conducted on or around ancestral land - located in the ‘backblocks’, well away from the blue ribbon routes. It is into these areas that these repeat visitors are now traveling as they search for the real New Zealand and the authentic experiences rurally-based Maori can offer.

New Zealand’s Asian visitors are the biggest spenders when it comes to leaving money behind in this country’s tourism sector.

In fact, of the top five spending visitor markets, only Switzerland comes from outside the Asia zone, and that country is ranked at number four.

A major survey conducted by the Tourism Research Council has shown that visitors from Thailand spend the most while in New Zealand - $6277 each, on average.

The Australians are the most miserly, spending just $1838 each. But by virtue of their numbers, our Tasman neighbours are the biggest overall contributors to New Zealand tourism.

The total contribution to New Zealand tourism in 2003 by Australian visitors was $1.2 billion, from total revenue earned by this sector of $6.38 billion.

The Tourism Research Council findings excluded money spent traveling to and from New Zealand.

The annual tourism showcase that is Tourism Rendezvous Exchange New Zealand is being staged in Christchurch and provides an opportunity for Maori tourism operators who are export-ready to present their products to tour wholesaler personnel from around the world.

As has been demonstrated in the past, TRENZ is not an event that is suited to every Maori tourism product, but it is a valuable marketing mechanism for those operators able to deliver on the promises and commitment which must be provided to the wholesale buyers who attend.

Sustainable tourism. It’s on everyone’s lips these days. But just how well is New Zealand doing in this regard?

Very well, according to the first-ever survey conducted by the hugely respected internationally-circulating magazine National Geographic.

Run in conjunction with Leeds Metropolitan University and 200 travel experts, the National Geographic survey has ranked New Zealand’s South Island second in the world, and the Bay of Islands seventh, in terms of how they have withstood the pressures of environmental degradation, erosion of culture and mass tourism.

One judge commented that while there are ‘still a few issues with indigenous rights’, the South Island is strong on nature, tourism, the environment and general community development.

In terms of the top places in the survey - the results of which ought to bring New Zealand’s tourism sector great satisfaction - the South Island (on 78 points from a possible 100), and the Bay of Islands, with 73, came in very close to the winner, Norway’s fiords region.