A geothermal tourism expert and local industry representatives are expecting visitor numbers to other geothermal attractions to remain stable despite the Whakaari/White Island eruption tragedy.
Rotorua geothermal tourist attraction Hell's Gate operations manager Paul Rayner said visitor numbers had remained steady this week and he did not anticipate a dropin the future.
"We've had one inquiry from one person who was a bit nervous but we had a chat with them and told them what we do," he said.
Rayner said he been on a White Island Tours trip himself and the operators had put safety at the forefront.
He believed there would be a "stringent" investigation into the tragedy.
Rotorua geothermal tourist attraction Hell's Gate operations manager, Paul Rayner, photographed in 2017. Photo / File
"That's got to be beneficial for everyone involved in geothermal activity [businesses], such as ours. We're always learning and looking for ways to make things safer.
"Safety should be a fluid thing and you should always be looking for ways to improve it, so of course something like this makes you take note even further and look at what you can do to improve safety."
Tongariro Expeditions co-owner Mandy Thomas said the shuttle bus operator refreshed its safety protocols after the Mt Tongariro eruption in 2012.
"We let people know they're in a volcanic area so this is what could happen and this is what to do."
The business did not operate if there was a heightened eruption risk, but sudden events could not be avoided, she said.
"People sign-in on the bus knowing that."
So far, the tragedy had not had a significant impact on visitor numbers.
"Visitor numbers are bang on the same - if not a little bit more - compared to the same time last year."
However, despite fine weather, she said she received a "handful" of phone calls, from both domestic and international tourists, cancelling bookings in the few days after the eruption.
She believed the Whakaari/White Island tragedy might deter some tourists from visiting geothermal attractions, but would attract other, more adventurous types.
The Tongariro Crossing was closed after the 2012 eruption but Thomas said she had tourists "begging" to visit just days after the event.
"Some people will run towards it and other people will run away. People may choose to visit if they are interested in volcanoes and activity in general."
Professor of tourism at AUT and director of New Zealand Tourism Research Institute, Simon Milne, said the tragedy would have significant economic and social impacts on Whakatāne and the surrounding area, but minimal impact on other geothermal tourism operations in the wider region.
"Visitors are well aware that this is an isolated and very tragic event that has occurred on an offshore island that is also New Zealand's most active volcano," he said.
"Elsewhere in the region, we should expect to see no drop off in visitor arrivals to key geothermal attractions in places like Rotorua and Taupō."
Milne said the eruption showed the importance of operators being aware events like the eruption could happen unexpectedly and it was vital to have processes in place to deal with the impact.
He said the eruption provided a warning to all adventure tourism operators of the innate risks which make up a part of the business and are part of the appeal to visitors.
He said operators needed to ask themselves whether they were doing their best to inform visitors of the risks involved. It was also vital businesses met or exceeded all regulatory standards and were covered from an insurance and legal perspective.
Destination Rotorua chief executive Michelle Templer said the organisation did not expect visitor numbers to Rotorua to drop.
"We know that our local operators take safety very seriously and are constantly assessing and making improvements to their operations."
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said it was too early to gauge the ongoing impact of the eruption.
For council-managed land with geothermal activity, such as Kuirau Park, Chadwick said appropriate safety measures were in place and the activity was monitored regularly.
