Urquharts Bay at Whangārei Heads from a spot on the Smugglers Cove loop track. Photo / Supplied
Urquharts Bay at Whangārei Heads from a spot on the Smugglers Cove loop track. Photo / Supplied
COMMENT
Prior to March 2020, when the concept of international border closures, lockdowns and alert levels were unknown to us all, the global travel and tourism industry was booming and New Zealand was knocking on the door of 4 million annual international visitors.
The boom brought with it a growingneed for countries, regions and destinations to better understand how visitation was affecting their place and people.
The movement of people across oceans and land is hardly a new phenomenon as humans have always been a migratory species, once travelling for sustenance, survival, expansion and exploration as part of the fabric of everyday life.
Contemporary travel, however, looks to satisfy different needs because we now move between locations for leisure; seeking escape, new experiences and connection.
The increase in desire to travel, coupled with the popularity of iconic landmarks, attractions or experiences, had been creating a dilemma for some destinations around the world that experienced immense pressure on local infrastructure and communities, often to the detriment of the environment.
Through this evolution of travel, came a new inquiry throughout our country: was travel offering only positive outcomes - growing local economies, providing employment opportunities and bringing vibrancy to towns and cities?
Or was there a negative impact on the environment and our local communities? Was the quality of the visitor experience as expected, or did it fail to live up to expectations?
Were the visitors a good fit for the destination? Did visitors arrive with an understanding of the destination, travel with a care for people, cultures and place, leaving only footprints?
Tania Burt, general manager destination at Northland Inc. Photo / Supplied
Were our destinations suitably developed to cater for permanent residents and an influx of visitors on top of this? Or did the infrastructure buckle under the weight of this temporary increase of use?
These are some of the questions that guide the investigation into a relatively new approach to the visitor industry in New Zealand that we now call "destination management".
The New Zealand Government Destination Management Guidelines released in 2020 by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment provide the definition of destination management as: "the mechanism by which New Zealanders can ensure that tourism in their region reflects their wishes and they have an agreed way to maximise the benefits that tourism brings whilst managing any negative impacts.
"It helps give greater certainty to the private sector that enables long-term investment as well as confidence to the public sector about the facilities and services they need to provide."
A regional destination management approach calls for partnership and a collaborative effort by key stakeholders in the tourism industry, businesses, regional/local government, central government agencies, regional tourism organisations and economic development agencies, iwi, hapū, Māori and local communities.
It involves research, consultation, engagement, investment and action to support, develop and best manage the sustainability of our visitor industry.
While Tai Tokerau Northland's iconic attractions with high summer visitation such as the Bay of Islands, Poor Knights Islands, Waipoua Forest and Te Rerenga Wairua - Cape Reinga require better management and support to address the impact of this visitation, our region is also relatively undiscovered and considered a developing destination for the most part.
We have room to strive for intentional growth of the visitor industry through investment and a set of deliberate destination management actions. We also have room to continue to build outstanding visitor experiences that connect the visitor to our place, our people and our stories.
Adopting this approach, Tai Tokerau Northland has emerged from the past 12 months with new partnerships in place, and the region is now poised and ready for a new collaborative approach to this world of destination management for the betterment of all.
