Ruapehi collides with Taupo in tourism promotion

Girls play on the snowy slopes of Mount Ruapehu. Photo / Supplied

A Ruapehu ratepayer is upset over posters of children playing in the snow on Mt Ruapehu while encouraging people to visit Taupo.

The mountain's snowy slopes are within the Ruapehu district, and should not be appropriated by Taupo for promotional purposes, the ratepayer insisted.

And they got a sympathetic hearing from Ruapehu mayor Don Cameron, who put a call through to Taupo Mayor Dave Trewavas.

Mr Cameron said the photograph was taken on Knoll Ridge in the Whakapapa ski area.
While not too upset at Taupo's cheeky move, he said the wider region was doing more combined marketing, and the districts needed to respect each other.

"All we are asking them is to be aware that we own the asset," Mr Cameron said.

"We don't want to stop anyone publicising our area. We can show each other what's being done and make sure the wording is suitable for both areas."

The wording on the poster was "Stay Taupo" but Mr Cameron suggested it could have said: "Stay at Taupo, ski Ruapehu" - "and everyone would have been happy".

Tourism is ramping up and one of the aims of the Manawatu-Whanganui Growth Study is to increase it further. Ruapehu body Visit Ruapehu was asked to lead that strand of economic development for an area that includes Tongariro's Great Walks, the Whanganui Journey, the ski areas and the Mountains to Sea cycle trail.

Visit Ruapehu is making a case for $160,000 funding to pay for a new brand for the combined area, and to help in the marketing of it.

Mr Cameron said the Conservation Department had been supportive, and his council was lobbying to get its funding increased.

Volcanic Plateau tribes heading toward land settlements were keen to progress tourism, and Air New Zealand wanted to encourage Queenslanders to fly into Taupo for skiing.

Everyone wanted to take advantage of the work Ruapehu Alpine Lifts was doing to upgrade the ski areas, he said. The company was spending $20 million to upgrade lifts, turn some of them into gondolas and open the upper skifield as a play area.

The increase in tourist numbers in the Waimarino has already surprised Mr Cameron.

Last week he met a group of 10 Germans on the Old Coach Road who were walking the New Zealand-long Te Araroa trail, and he predicted that 1000 people would pass through the district on that trail this year.