Tourism – More Than Marketing Needed

From the Local Government Tourism Symposium Hotel Grand Chancellor, Christchurch

‘There needs to be more in place than marketing if New Zealand is o reap the ongoing benefits of tourism’, said Peter Winder, Chief Executive of Local Government New Zealand at today’s local government tourism symposium in Christchurch.

Many of the marketing approaches are very successful, but without the community infrastructure and integration to support the industry, tourists do not get the best experience possible,’ he said. ‘The community can suffer enormous stress because of the peak demands or increased needs that tourists bring.’

Mr Winder likened this to inviting people to stay at your home for the weekend. ‘You love having them but you can never use the bathroom, they take up all the beds (and floors) eat the food and drink the beer in the fridge, park their cars in the driveway and leave with garden cuttings and you with a pile of extra washing to dispose of.’

Part of the symposium is about getting attendees to identify ways to better achieve integration between the marketing arms of tourism businesses (and specialized tourism promotions agencies) as part of the local government response to the New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2010,’ he said.

The Minister of Tourism, the Hon Mark Burton, spoke to 100 plus delegates about the need to get local and central government working more closely together to find ways of addressing the pressure points local communities are feeling from the success of the tourism industry.

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