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.

Start with the one hour circuit on the Tongariro River Trail providing wide views over Lake Taupo and Turangi; after coffee recovery travel 10km to walk for two hours around Lake Rotopounamu, beautiful original native bush around a hidden lake; 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.  Or for a real challenge away from the queues – the “BIGGIE” – see video below.