Continuing the tourist industry issues from TRM Daily Report yesterday:
DGLT (Destination Great Lake Taupo) Strategy Document 2016:
Great Lake Taupö is a thriving tourism destination where people can experience one of the world’s most unique and picturesque areas. Close to 1.3 million visitors help drive Great Lake Taupö’s economic success by directly spending half a billion dollars in the region every year. In addition to this, the flow on impact of tourism spend is estimated to be another half a billion dollars.
The Great Lake Taupö region has a permanent population of 35,600. When this is considered alongside the magnitude of our visitor numbers, it is clear that tourism is a driving force in our economy. Tourism currently provides 35% of jobs in our workforce and 25% of our GDP, but there is still significant potential to grow tourism further. The industry now needs to debate whether future growth will occur incrementally, whether there is a desire for a more radical transformation, and how we want growth to occur.
OK? Understood. Tourism is very important in a cute little tourist town. Economically it is everything we rely on so we need to protect it. But look what is happening at one of our most popular key iconic tourist spots…
Tongariro River Motel has warned of inevitable congestion on the Tongariro Crossing for this silly tourist season many times over during the last year but to no avail…
Thank you to Murray Wilson for following images.
Photos of Kiki enjoying the crossing are from TRM of course…
Following from facebook illustrate the problems at the Southern Mangatepopo end where most people start and where shuttle buses do their drop off.
(Image on right – Buses passing could not avoid their mirrors being hooked up)
Most park at the finish and get a shuttle to the start.
So if you imagine the following photos indicate a shambles, we regret it is far worse at the finish.
On the mid-week day these images were taken – 9 am on Thursday 5 January – the security team estimated over 5000 walkers with over 300 cars parked at both the start and finish along the road sides (i.e. excludes those in car parks).
It is crazy to allow it this situation to continue any longer. We daren’t mention the increasing environmental degradation on the crossing – it is too sad.
It may be acceptable for Jafas who are used to parking and traffic jams (?) but we cannot afford to mislead and upset so many other tourists.
Tourists had no idea from any of the booking offices about the shambles with crowding and waiting and queues and access and parking issues.
Something really has to be done by the Council and/or ‘authorities’ to control the numbers and send the overflow to any of the many other walking tracks around the central plateau. If tourism is our biggest industry then we cannot afford to continue to operate a shambles like this on NZ’s most popular one day walk.
DOC – who have their signs all over the track so must be responsible for the management of the track (?) must do something to manage the numbers better – not reduce them but provide more infrastructure!
TRM and other motels persevered all last summer season fielding continuous complaints but nothing has changed. TRM was asked for a solution? TRM are not qualified to comment as the Tongariro Crossing is a major earner for all local tourist accommodation suppliers.
Understandably SWMBO (Manager of everything at TRM) would not want to do anything to affect Her 100% occupancy since Christmas.
Instead we asked for opinion from a major tourist sporting shop owner with more experience than us in tourism matters. He says the only realistic solution is to ban cars on the access roads and restrict them for shuttle bus use only, operating a pick-up and drop-off from the huge Turangi CBD car parks. They could easily cope with the volumes of traffic. That seems a sensible compromise to avoid further traffic jams. Watch this space…
What do you think?
Just as well they brought the boat???
(Below is a repeat of the TRM Daily Report for 6 September 2016)
Tourism congestion:
How do we protect our pressure points
The tourism boom rolls on.
For June 2016, compared with June 2015:
National guest nights were up 11.9 percent.
North Island guest nights were up 13.3 percent, and South Island guest nights were up 9.5 percent.
Domestic guest nights were up 10.9 percent, and international guest nights were up 13.7 percent.
Compare – TRM guest nights for June were up 25 percent. (but that might reflect SWMBO’s management? Or the fishing?)
All 12 regional areas had more guest nights.
All four accommodation types had more guest nights with holiday parks up a significant 26%. etc…
But now the sudden growth problems are emerging – such as on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing…
Above – Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Is this crowding and delays what tourists really expect? We have to do better than this…
Tourism congestion: How do we protect our pressure points:
Recently TRM posted an alarming update complaining about the crowding and parking issues on the Tongariro Crossing – with two alternative options as solutions on the video – below.
Now the latest TOURISM BUSINESS magazine has featured and confirmed the problem under the sub-heading:
Tourism congestion:
How do we protect our pressure points:
They feature the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (“TAC”) which now suffers from crowding an unacceptable crowded queues and delays and parking hassles as the number of walkers has increased fifty percent – from 80,000 to 120,000 in the past three years says DOC’s Whakapapa conservation services manager, Paul Carr.
TRM were reluctant to complain about the TAC as it is such an important tourist attraction for Turangi.
We understood the crowding has increased ever since the 1970’s when Lonely Planet editor – Tony Wheeler – first visited this area and walked the TAC .
He wrote it up as the best one day walk in NZ . Locals wonder if he even trekked on any of the other walks around the Central Plateau? – such as the ’round the mountain tracks’ or on Mt. Ruapehu.
The rest is history. It has been on everyone tourist’s bucket list ever since.
But now excessive tourists have become a major problem. i.e. “At the TAC car parking is a shambles “ complains one guiding concession operator. “On busy days cars are parked up on the curbs and along the roadside for several km at Mangatepopo and all the way to the main road from Ketetahi, and that’s with 75% of the walkers travelling by shuttle buses from local towns. It’s a dog’s breakfast.”
And the growth continues but the facilities have not kept pace.
The whole experience has become a ridiculously congested tourist trap. About fifty companies operate bus services to the car parks. The Mangatepopo car park was expanded in 2010, the road is graded about eight times each year. etc…
It is out of control. So you have been warned…
The TRM alternative options on our website are far better.
1 Start with the one hour circuit on the Tongariro River Trail providing wide views over Lake Taupo and Turangi;
2 After a coffee caffeine fix recovery, travel 10km to walk for two hours around Lake Rotopounamu, a beautiful virgin native bush walk around a hidden lake;
3 Then travel on to the Whakapapa Village and finish the day with the two hour circuit to Taranaki Falls – see images on right from under the waterfall…
A much better choice with five hours of walks with more variety and options not so dependent on weather conditions and away from the crowding and parking hassles.
Other more challenging options might include two hours climbing an unmarked track up Mt. Tihia. There are just so many other similar really memorable walks in virgin bush around the Turangi Tongariro region – most of which are never used by tourists. i.e. Tree Trunk Gorge to Pillars of Hercules? Waihaha Trail? Taranaki Falls? Boyd Lodge to Oamaru Hut? Yet most tourists have never heard of them. This is where the tourism operators have failed to do their duty…. It has been easier to just shunt them all on to the Tongariro Crossing.
Or for a real challenge away from the queues – they should be sending them to the “BIGGIE” – see video below.
Whakapapa Unlimited
Step onto the side of NZ’s largest active volcano, Mt Ruapehu. Situated within a dual World Heritage National Park, this spiritually and culturally significant maunga (mountain) is the highest in the North Island. You will be awestruck at the inspiring views and geological features when you take a scenic ride on two chairlifts to Knoll Ridge, NZ’s highest café. Sip on a latte or indulge in a glass of wine while you absorb the unlimted vista, hike the unique volcanic trails or learn about the history and stories of the maunga.
Scenic Chairlift Ride
Ride two chairlifts over Mt Ruapehu’s striking volcanic terrain to an altitude of 2,020 metres above sea level. Once there you can take in the breathtaking views of the Tongariro National Park; Mt Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. This is a leisurely ride suitable for the whole family.
Knoll Ridge Cafe 2,020m above sea level
Open every day from 9am, Knoll Ridge Café serves up great coffee, tasty treats and incredible views overlooking the Pinnacles and out west toward the coast. With a large outdoor deck, it truly is the place to be. Enjoy morning tea, lunch or an afternoon platter and glass of wine in NZ’s highest café.
Guided Crater Lake Hikoi (one day hike)
Experience a spectacular journey to the pristine Crater Lake near the highest point in the North Island. You will be hosted and entertained by our safety & mountaineering guide with first hand Ngati Hikairo cultural knowledge on this 6 hour return trip. Under your guide’s care, you will explore the remarkable volcanic features of Mt Ruapehu, be inspired by the panoramic views and and learn about the geological and cultural signficance of both the maunga and the dual World Heritage Tongariro National Park. It is an extraordinary and moving experience you will never forget.
Short Volcanic Freedom Walks
From the top of the chairlift there are a variety of short walks waiting for you to explore. Skyline, a breath taking hike that takes in unlimited views of Ngauruhoe aka Mt Doom, Tongariro, Lake Taupo and beyond is described as the best short walk in Tongariro National Park.
