AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND TOURISM STRATEGY (?*)
NZ’s tourism strategy priorities are being revised – again…
As part of the ‘consultation’ process they – MBIE (Ministry of Everything) are so anxious for new ideas they have asked for submissions from everyone?. Even TRM! The real reason is for them to show they really are concerned and are listening (?)…
The sad truth is, when they do this it really means the brilliant minds in power have already decided on their new policy – new brooms sweep clean – and are just going through the PC (politically correct) steps to justify it.
For you dear reader, this provides a great opportunity to point out all the obvious flaws in the existing strategy. Never hold back as it will never be read or considered anyway, but you will feel much better afterwards – treat it as a healthy stress relief catharsis exercise.
It is just so they can claim – to provide for inevitable anticipated future criticism – that they have consulted their clients/ratepayers/tax payers/whatever and have considered everyone’s wish lists and ticked all the boxes. It is a bit like holding a referendum for MMP?
In other words, it is all BS. They will do what they want to do regardless.
TOURISM IS THE BIGGIE
Yet this no minor matter. Tourism is the biggie – our largest “export” earner. International tourism increased 43% in the last five years with 3,787,000 visitors to Y/E June 2018. The tourism contribution to GDP to March 2017 was $14.7 Billion with 230,000 jobs.
Therefore, with any new revised strategy they have to get it right, so just as well they asked SWMBO for Her opinion first…
From the questions they asked, reading between the lines, the Gummint want to increase their role and replace much of what local councils do to promote tourism. We have to support that. They could not do any worse…
i.e. Trout fishing has not been promoted by the Toe-paw Council in the last 25 years. It is mentioned along with golf and bungy jumping but, despite being historically responsible for tourism in this region, it has never featured.
We discovered that to our horror about 12 years ago when we visited the local council tourist promotion office aka DGLT (Destination Great Lake Taupo) which comprised a bunch of lovely young ladies who had no interest whatever in promoting trout fishing. Do you know what they promoted in Turangi that year? Weddings! True…
So SWMBO decided one way of encouraging and expose them, to consider TRM inmates’ (aka “tourists”) concerns. is to go public via blogs and facebook. They imagine everyone else studies these posts too, so in the interests of their precious job preservation, they might even consider a different more radical proposal. It would be a winner but has absolutely no chance of succeeding if they had not already thought of it first.
Mind you, TRM have proposed tourism ‘winners’ in the past – such as opening the only underground power station in the North Island for tourists and promoting it as “The Cave of Mordor” – but naturally they took no notice. But indefatigable SWMBO does not give up that easily…
West Island anglers (aka “tourists”) in particular should study this carefully and immediately respond to MBIE to support it. Although the local Council and Government tourism experts fail to recognise them as a “special” category, trout fishos have become a hugely important potential market as they now qualify as “tourists” – not just grubby fishos. With their new status, they command much more attention and have to be taken seriously.
From our ‘hands on’ experience dealing with many other types of tourists as well, TRM always targets anglers. Why? It is so simple.
Tourist anglers keep on coming back and staying longer than any other tourist category. Just as important, they time their visits longer during the “shoulder” season – outside of the silly season – when other tourists stay away during spawning runs.
Overseas trout fishos appreciate far more what the Tongariro River provides, apart from giant trout. There are no other rivers in the world that can compare with such an easily accessible wild “steelhead” fishery open all year round.
(Yet in the last 25 years all NZ Tourism propaganda encourages tourist anglers to the South Island?)
FISHING LICENCES
In the Taupo region it gets ‘worser’… As an incentive to visit, DOC charge them an additional premium on their fishing licence over and above local anglers.
NZ resident annual fishing licence: $99. One week licence: $42
Taupo tourist annual fishing licence: $129. One week licence: $65
How dumb is that? That is how DOC and the Gummint encourage tourism… No wonder it needs a review.
But back to the theme of this discussion… All MBIE wants to know is how to encourage more of them?. OK.
As usual, SWMBO has a simple answer.
Offer them FREE LICENCES.
So obvious!. They contribute so much to the local economy that any loss in fees to DOC would soon be recovered when more and more of them visit to stay longer and return again and again. Tourist would love it.
Everyone wins. Brilliant!
AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND TOURISM STRATEGY (?*)
(?*) In TRM’s formal submission, filling in the spaces by ticking their leading questions, SWMBO suggested the first priority should be to change the first word of their advertising promotional blurb “Aotearoa”…
Why?. The initial impression is so important in advertising.
Imagine if you were an overseas tourist considering where to go and you could not understand the very first word of a foreign country’s promotion…
It turns them off before they get into the juicy bits. Tell me of one other commercial NZ tour operator that labels it Aotearoa? None! We rest our case…
MBIE are trying too hard to be PC to please everyone, instead of thinking ahead.
TRM always considers the guests feelings first.
MBIE strategy:
- › outlines the strategic context
- › identifies government’s goals for tourism, including in the context of the industry’s own Tourism 2025 framework
- › outlines the priorities that government will focus on.This strategy is supported by a decision making framework to enable government to make better choices about where, when and how it invests in the tourism system.The framework will act as a guide for government agencies when making tourism related investment decisions, helping them to prioritise and make sure their investments are well aligned with the government’s broader tourism goals. It provides a set of criteria and a more robust and transparent way to assess investment choices.The strategy will also be supported by an implementation plan that will set out:
- › measures of progress (over the short-term, medium-term and long-term)
- › a prioritised work programme for government, including specific action and key milestones
- › how the implementation of the strategy will be resourced.
The aim
The government’s overarching aim is to enrich New Zealand through sustainable tourism growth.
The focus on sustainability recognises the importance of the future tourism system being environmentally and socially sustainable,
as well as economically sustainable. It also recognises the potential impacts of climate change on the sector and supports the government’s focus for a just transition to a ‘clean, green, and carbon neutral New Zealand.’The outcomes
The strategy sets out the government’s approach to five long-term tourism outcomes. It asks what long-term success would look like in each of these areas, where we are now, what is already happening and what priority areas the government should focus on.
These five outcomes show how tourism can help deliver productive, sustainable, inclusive growth.
› New Zealand benefits from more productive tourism growth
› exceptional visitor experiences ensure the sector’s future success
› tourism protects, enhances and promotes New Zealand’s natural, cultural and historic heritage
› regions and communities benefit
› New Zealanders’ lives are improved by tourism.
New Zealand benefits from more productive tourism growth
This focuses on the type of economic growth that we want tourism to deliver, with a focus on lifting the productivity of the sector.
Exceptional visitor experiences ensure the sector’s future success
The second outcome focuses on how we can make sure the tourism sector is economically sustainable by developing and promoting high-quality, authentic visitor experiences.
Tourism protects & enhances New Zealand’s natural, cultural and historic heritage & promotes New Zealand culture.
This goal signals the importance of both maintaining and restoring the quality of the unique natural, cultural and historic heritage that visitors come here to experience.
New Zealanders’ lives are improved by tourism
The fourth outcome focuses on ensuring New Zealanders continue to support tourism by enhancing experiences of their own country, as well as shared respect and hospitality.
Regions and communities benefit
This outcome focuses on ensuring the benefits of tourism are distributed across regions and communities, contributing to inclusive growth. This includes ensuring whānau, iwi and hapū benefit from tourism.
AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND TOURISM STRATEGY:
SUMMARY
You can see the full draft Tourism Strategy online at mbie.govt.nz/tourism-strategy
How are we going to do it?
Priority work areas
The strategy envisages a number of significant new areas of cross-agency work to help deliver on our aims which will build on work that is already underway in many areas.
These priority work areas signal the action needed to achieve the government’s tourism outcomes. These are detailed at the end of the Summary. Some of the key priority actions include:
- › ensuring that funding models cater to tourism growth, and enable those who benefit from infrastructure to contribute to its costs.
- › taking a stronger leadership role in the sector.
› improving destination plans at a regional level.
› continuing Tourism New Zealand’s strategy of targeting for value over volume
and encouraging off-peak growth
› focusing on tourism sector productivity including addressing seasonality and skills.
› looking at the likely impacts on the tourism sector of climate change and moving
to a low emissions economy
› implementing the recommendations of the Responsible Camping Working Group
› supporting iwi to develop authentic visitor experiences and to raise awareness of these.
This is a draft strategy and we want your feedback.
We’re interested in hearing what you think about the draft Tourism Strategy. In particular, here are some questions we’d like you to think about:
- › What do you think about the government’s proposal to take a more active and deliberate role in the tourism system?
- › What are the areas you think should be a particular focus? Are there areas where the government’s role should be limited?
- › The draft strategy proposes five tourism outcomes for government. Do you support these outcomes and are these the right outcomes to focus on?
- › The strategy identifies an ambitious work programme for government, what are the highest priority actions from your perspective?
- › What are the areas in this draft strategy that you think could be strengthened?
If you want to provide feedback, you can:
- › Provide it online atmbie.govt.nz/tourism-strategy
- › Email it to tourism@mbie.govt.nz
- › Mail to MBIE Tourism Policy, PO Box 1473, Wellington 6140.You can provide feedback by 5pm Monday 4 February 2019. Make sure you include your name or the name of your organisation and contact details with any feedback.