A call for a Christchurch and Canterbury Strategic Tourism Plan so that tourism development in the region can take place more strategically and in tandem with social, economic and environmental performance, is at the heart of a major report on tourism in Christchurch and Akaroa, released in the city this week. (w/c 1 Dec.).
Presented to the Visitor Coordination Group, made up of representatives of Canterbury Development Corporation, Christchurch and Canterbury Marketing Ltd, and Christchurch City Council, the 50-page report has been produced by Lincoln University's Tourism, Recreation Research and Education Centre, headed by Professor of Tourism David Simmons.
The document, entitled Tourism in Christchurch and Akaroa: Challenges for Planning and Recommendations for Management, brings together eight separate reports produced this year on key aspects of tourism in Christchurch and Akaroa.
The overall goals of the research, funded by the Public Good Science Fund, are the improved management of tourism growth and the development of better guidelines to ensure its sustainability.
Along with Professor Simmons, co-authors of the final report presented today are Dr John Fairweather, Principal Research Officer of Lincoln University's Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit and Michael Shone, Research Associate in Tourism in the Environment, Society and Design Division at Lincoln University.
"The research is not a marketing study," says Professor Simmons, "although data we have produced will be useful in making marketing decisions. Rather, our focus has been on public sector responses and community adaptations to tourism."
The eight reports synthesised in the presentation have covered visitor profiles and forecasts; visitor characteristics and decision-making; visitor and local views of environmental management; community perceptions of tourism in Christchurch and Akaroa; Māori tourism; values associated with Maori-centred tourism; economic impact of tourism in Christchurch and Akaroa; and tourism, waste and water in Akaroa.
The project had three points of focus, says Professor Simmons
- Understanding tourist demand.
- Community and Māori expectations of, and adaptations to, tourism.
- Understanding the structure of the tourism economy and environmental management systems that shape the host/guest relationship and nature of tourism development.
Tourism is a sizeable part of the Christchurch economy, contributing 12 percent of all jobs and providing a total of $1.9 billion in benefits to the city's economy. Similarly it is a significant part of the Akaroa economy where annual spending of $17.3 million generates approximately 50 percent of all jobs.
On the whole the researchers found that residents of Christchurch and Akaroa appear to be positive about tourism, with a majority of respondents wanting to see increased levels of tourism development.
"They seem likely to get this," says Professor Simmons, "because while currently the visitor footprint on the city is relatively small - equating to just 9.3 of the resident population, in five years time, by the end of 2008, this is projected to have increased to 14.8 percent.
"Such growth makes planning imperative because tourism is a resource-based industry that can experience boom-bust scenarios. Both a disenchanted public and the loss of investment from outside can erode initial high levels of support and local economic gains.
"In addition, the environmental capacity of Christchurch and Akaroa to absorb tourism is finite. Over-expansion of poorly managed development can degrade the key qualities that visitors seek, or the local communities value.
"In other words, unmanaged tourism can be a significant risk to long-term community stability and well-being.
"Indeed it is well established that unless managed properly, the costs of tourism can exceed its benefits.
"Consideration therefore needs to be given to the overall style and size of tourism in these and other centres in the Canterbury region.
"International visitors to Canterbury stay on average 4.5 days and make numerous side trips to : Akaroa (37%), Kaikoura (36%), and Hanmer (27%). However the fact that 97 percent of international visitor bednights are spent in Christchurch suggests that the city may be gaining ahead of regional centres which add so much to the regional tourist flows, and where infrastructure pressures are becoming acute.
"That is why a call to establish regional planning systems is central to our recommendations," says Professor Simmons.
Overall the report concludes that tourism in Christchurch and Canterbury is at an economically and socially sustainable level at present. However it says that while future growth seems assured in the short-term, there are a number of challenges in maintaining the long-term sustainability of the sector and its role in social and economic growth.
"The key areas of risk are those associated with the broader institutional, infrastructural, environmental and social elements of tourism management," it says.
"The main thrust of the results from this research is that tourism planning needs a broad focus and integration across sectors and various regional local authorities.
"Many of our recommendations therefore apply to organisations with a broader societal and environmental mandate than tourism alone," say the authors.
They group their recommendations into six areas - institutional; infrastructural; environmental; social; market; and national-level risk.
Institutional
Neither Christchurch nor Akaroa has a robust, well-resourced institutional structure for tourism management at the level of sophistication as, for example, Rotorua.
Recommendations include -
There is a need to develop a regional strategic planning process involving representation from appropriate agencies and stakeholder groups eg. regional council, city and district councils, regional and district tourism organisations, local residents and local iwi.
The output from this process would be a Christchurch and Canterbury Strategic Tourism Plan.
Infrastructural
Recommendations include -
The regional strategic tourism plan should either develop or recommend suitable pricing mechanisms for tourist hotspots in order to effectively and equitably fund needed infrastruture or services.
Environmental
Both domestic and international tourism in Christchurch relies heavily on the desire of visitors to experience "natural" urban settings. These include gardens and open urban spaces with tall trees. Long-term policies, plans and design and management guidelines are needed to conserve the environmental qualities that underpin tourism.
Recommendation -
That the issue of design be recognised as a critically important factor in planning for tourist development in Christchurch and throughout Canterbury.
Social
Tourism in Christchurch and Akaroa and in Canterbury generally relies heavily on the sense of security and comfort of visitors and the friendliness of local residents. While residents are currently satisfied about tourism, they have concerns about it influencing the character and style of their home towns and there is a growing concern that the needs of tourists should not usurp the needs or primacy of local residents.
Recommendations -
That there be community involvement in tourism planning.
There be explanations of the significance of tourism and its broad benefits and costs to local residents.
That particular attention be given to finding ways to retain the cultural heritage of Māori while enhancing economic opportunities for Maori.
Market
Recommendations -
There be regular assessment of the natural landscape and of infrastructure quality as perceived by visitors.
Information services need to be portable (eg. brochures) and retain their independence from promotional activities. Information should be delivered to tourists in their home situations - the key location of travel-related decision-making.
National-level Risk
Local and site level tourism planning must be established within a national framework. Promotion and advertising decisions made elsewhere have significant downstream effects and without input from key destination areas and touring regions, too strong a marketing orientation can distort community goals and local environmental realities.
Recommendation -
Relevant organisations continue to communicate local needs to national level tourism organisations and government agencies.
In summary, the report says that Christchurch draws significant advantage from tourism but by not explicitly planning for the sector as a whole its long-term growth challenges sustainable development, not just for the sector but also for wider community values.
Given that tourism is growing rapidly and appears to be doubling every seven to eight years, Canterbury needs to adopt a strategic and integrated approach to tourism planning - one that integrates tourists flows and tastes with locals aspirations, resources and regional infrastructure needs.
For further information contact
Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury
Tel: (03) 3252811 ext 8549.
Email: Ian Collins
Professor David G Simmons, Professor of Tourism, Lincoln University.
Tel: (03) 325 3820.