Cashing in on tourism in Gisborne

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RESEARCHERS have identified $64 million-worth of new tourism opportunities that the region could cash in on — including a tree-top canopy walkway on Kaiti Hill and the redevelopment of Te Puia Springs.

Just a month after Tourism Eastland appointed Australian tourism consultants the Stafford Group to research a destination development plan for the region, so far the research has identified $28.2m of commercial projects, $15.2m of opportunities that could be funded through public-private partnerships and $19.8m of publicly-funded projects.

Speaking at a public meeting at the Gisborne i-Site on Thursday, Stafford Group director Albert Stafford said those were “just some” of the project’s interim findings. The next step would be to narrow down the opportunities to just the three best.

“Some of them will take a little bit of time to get under way, some of them will take a little bit longer. The focus we have is very much about finding ways to commercialise opportunities because the message we have had, very clearly, from the three councils we deal with and central government is finding investment opportunities for the local business community and generating ways of finding employment.”

Mr Stafford said the key “interim” findings so far included the need to extend the “shoulder periods” either side of the main summer tourist season, as well as a need to “tap into” the thriving tourism industry in Rotorua.

Lack of 'paid' experiencesThe visitor economy was also constrained by a lack of commercial, “pay for” tourism experiences.

“It’s nice having lots of free things for people to do but you have to be able to politely clip the ticket in order to make a buck, create jobs and create opportunities.

“We found out during this exercise that there are 35,000 vehicle movements to the East Cape lighthouse per annum — but no one clips the ticket. We’re very much conscious that locals should have access for free but visitors pay.”

There was also an opportunity to improve the visitor experience at Kaiti Hill.

“We think there is an opportunity to do an improvement to the viewing platform at the top. We also think there is an opportunity on the reverse side, looking over the water for a canopy walkway experience through the trees with a zip-line. It’s an exciting opportunity.”

Roading infrastructure was also needed to improve the coastal driving experience in the region. The region also had a natural advantage to get involved in the growing “food tourism” market.

There was also an opportunity to redevelop Te Puia Springs into the centre of a thermal trail experience that could include the mud lakes.

That was an idea that “at least deserved some consideration”.

Motu for outdoor adventureMotu had also been identified as an ideal place for an outdoor adventure hub. Mr Stafford said it would also be ideal to see the Matawai pub reopen for business if a new buyer could be found.

“We know what it’s currently on the market for, we don’t know what level of refurbishment is required but we think it has legs as a venue, as a place that’s an adventure hub.”

CORRECTION: The Matawai Hotel is not on the market. Comments by tourism consultant Albert Stafford indicate it is closed and on the market. The owner says the bar is closed but not the hotel. While the hotel is not currently listed with an agent, the owner says she would sell at the right price, or have a caretaker look after it.

An all-weather indoor visitor experience in Gisborne was also needed.

“We’ve had some deep and meaningful conversations with some serious players and there is an appetite out there.”

Mr Stafford said although central government funding was available, many opportunities required matching funds to be sourced locally first.

Tourism Eastland chief executive Stuart Perry said the final report would provide a foundation for tourism. He was pleased to see the interest the plan was raising within the community.

“We’ve had 26 meetings with 150 people in five days, so it has really been full-on — but it has also been an eye-opener. I think what we’re going to end up with is a really substantial document that’s going to guide tourism from here into the future.”

Tourism Eastland president David Sly said the $30,000 report would be funded through Tourism Eastland’s $50,000 “rainy day” reserves, which had been built up over time, since it became an incorporated society in 1997.The interim report would be published on the Tourism Eastland website, with the final report expected in June.