Nature tourism grows

Press, 26 September 1989, Page 29

Nature tourism grows

By

Oliver Riddell

Tourism in South Westland is changing. One-stop or two-stop bus tours passing through are giving way to longer-stay “nature” holidaymakers. This has been true of tourism nationwide in the last five years. It is particularly true of South Westland which has never been sold at home or abroad as a separate tourist destination.

The area has tended to be a small component of package tours round the South Island. Mr Mike Brown, manager of Alpine Guides Westland Ltd at Fox Glacier arid a committee member of the West Coast Tourism Council, said recently “bus tours have just died.” There had been a 30 per cent drop in tourist numbers in the last five years with the drop in tour bus parties; the West Coast could absorb 30 to 50 per cent more tourists without needing more facilities, he said. Mr Bill Mineham, Youth Hostels’ Association warden at Okarito, agreed that the change had occurred, but said the new type of “nature” tourist stayed longer.

“The answer is not necessarily to build up throughput again, but to ensure those who do come stay longer — as many are already,” he said.

Dr Gerry McSweeney, proprietor of the Moeraki Wilderness Lodge and former conservation director of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, said South Westland tourist activities needed to be co-ordinated better.

He said the future lay with “nature” tourists and his own pre-bookings for October and November show a preponderance of visitors seeking that experience — with a heavy weighting of people from West Germany to the Unjted States. “These people want to do things,” Dr McSweeney said. “They don’t want to sweep through in a single

day in their bus. “They want to see penguins and seals, go canoeing, go for long walks and tramps in the virgin bush areas, and look at the native fauna and flora.”

It was up to the tourist industry to cater for the needs of this new tourist by seeing there was proper access.

Mr Bruce Watson, West Coast' regional conservator for the Department of Conservation, agreed with Dr McSweeney.

The concession to a Whataroa firm to take parties to the White Heron Sanctuary at Waitangiroto was providing full-time employment for five people.

Permits were available for 6000 people to visit the sanctuary each year — to be reviewed in five years — and 4000 had been pre,-sold for this summer, he said.