Tourism and conservation work hand in hand

Tourism and conservation are closely linked and each plays a role in the success of the other.

 

Department of Conservation Rotorua Lakes area manager Nicki Douglas and public awareness advisor Steve Brightwell see it as part of their roles to create opportunities for tourism operators to help locals and visitors access and appreciate the region's natural resources.

"The Department of Conservation is just one player in conservation and that's the way it has to be. We need a whole community approach and tourism is a driver of a shared community vision in this area," said Douglas.

She sees one of the department's roles as providing access to conservation areas for people to do activities such as hiking, mountainbiking, rafting and adventure tourism and believes tourism has a role to play in helping people to appreciate the natural environment and recognise the need to preserve it.

"It is about keeping New Zealand as beautiful as it is. We work with the tourism industry and the wider community around keeping these areas beautiful.

"When you get people like Joe Doherty [of Te Urewera Treks] and Tom Lynch [of Foris Eco Tours] talking about their spaces with such passion, its a winning combination."

Douglas recognises businesses' need to focus on economics, but said firms such as Waimangu Volcanic Valley and Te Urewera Treks proved businesses could be economically successful and provide an education and conservation element.

To support organisations that help people to enjoy and appreciate the region's forests, lakes and mountains, she said the department worked to identify places people wanted to go and then how to best provide opportunities for them to connect with those locations.

"There have been some concerns about overcrowding in some particularly popular areas such as the Tongariro Crossing and the Abel Tasman National Park - some of our really special places. We need to find alternative places that people can enjoy just as much to spread the load.

"It's great to have tourists in these places, but we need to also make sure they are still accessible for New Zealanders."

Brightwell said events could also promote conservation and pointed to the Tarawera Ultra Marathon as an example.

"This event takes a huge number of people in there and has a very strong environmental emphasis. It shows people this fantastic lake and hopefully they will come back with friends and family with an understanding of why it is precious and how to behave in there."

He sees no contradiction in having tourism and leisure access alongside conservation work such as biodiversity projects.

"It's a way of showcasing our work and our successes a bit more and it's great for businesses to have somewhere where the infrastructure is there and they have things to show people."

Brightwell said the natural environment was a key drawcard for tourists and even urban hotels promote themselves as being close to or having views of forest and lake areas.

"It is about finding ways for people to engage in business and leisure [in these areas] and managing those in perpetuity. It's all about sustainability."