Tourism day focus on thermal village health

While World Tourism Day passed much of Rotorua by, Whakarewarewa Living Thermal Village marked the occasion with two launches.
The village released its environmental plan to safeguard the valley's geothermal resources yesterday and announced the theme for next year's Waitangi Day event.
Chief executive Grace Neilson told The Daily Post it was important to protect geothermal activity in the village and work was underway with the Foundation for Research and Science to study the health of the field.
"They are telling us what areas we can use for the business and we are looking at what we can do to revitalise places where it has declined."
Part of this process involves building new tracks to take visitors away from more stressed areas, allowing them to recover, while still providing guests with a genuine geothermal experience, encouraging them to stay on after their guided tour.
Neilson says tourists are increasingly interested in the environment, sustainability and how Maori lived with geothermal and what they are doing to protect it.
Whakarewarewa staff have also been working with young job seekers, bringing them on to the site for six months to help with its environmental projects, while developing their own skills.
"They have been clearing away noxious plants - without using chemicals, so we don't end up with weed killer in the Puarenga Stream."
Some visitors also get involved in environmental projects at the attraction.
The Village's next Waitangi Day event will celebrate British, Nordic and European cultures.
Business development manager Renee Nathan says this continues Whaka's work with the Rotorua Multicultural Council to highlight particular sectors of the Rotorua community.
Previous celebrations have worked with the Australian and Pacific and Asian communities and future events will focus on northern and central America and South Africa.
"The idea is to rotate around these. Each year will be something new to keep the locals coming back."
A sign at the entrance to the Whakanuia Track highlights the various nationalities recognised so far.
Nathan says the goal is to create a day for all Rotorua people and to make Whakarewarewa "the" place to go for Waitangi Day.
Most people contacted by The Daily Post yesterday were surprised to hear it was World Tourism Day. It is an initiative by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and the theme for 2010 is tourism and biodiversity.
Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand chief executive Tim Cossar says it is a good opportunity for New Zealand to celebrate one of its most important sectors, bringing in $59 million a day and supporting almost 100,000 jobs.
He says the biodiversity theme is particularly relevant to New Zealand.
"Our environment and unique biodiversity are one of our main tourism offerings. New Zealand tourism operators are committed to protecting that environment."
 
WHAT DID YOU DO?
- What did you do for World Tourism Day? If you have photographs of activities at your attraction/activity/accommodation business, celebrating the event, send them in to business editor Julie Taylor at business@dailypost.co.nz with details of what you did and who is in the photograph.