May 01, 2020
Slow tourism could better suit Maori communities
The Environmental Defence Society says the Government should re-establish a ministry for tourism to oversee the rebuild of the sector in the wake of COVID-19.
A new report by its policy director Raewyn Peart and solicitor Cordelia Woodhouse says there is a lack of scale within tourism organisations to support the rebuild of what had become New Zealand’s biggest export earner.
They expect the rebound to start with the surge in road trips once New Zealand gets to alert level 1, followed by the development of a trans-tasman bubble which will allow Australian tourists to return.
Rather than the past focus of marketing New Zealand as a place to visit, they recommend asking how people visit, so the impacts of tourism on the environment and local communities can be better managed.
A shift to so-called ‘slow’ tourism will enable people to have a much deeper engagement with New Zealand’s landscapes, including learning about their history, Māori cultural associations and the local communities which derive a livelihood from them.
Copyright © 2020, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com