Local reporter Mike Mansell visited us in September 2009. He was interested in finding out about the processes we had been through, and the reasons why we decided to set up our tourism business. He wrote an article explaining his findings and it was published later on that month in our local newspaper, The Whangarei Report.
These boots are made for walking.
(with apologies to Nancy Sinatra) by Mike Mansell.
We are regularly reminded of the national economic significance of the tourism industry to our national wellbeing, not to mention our balance of payments and employment opportunities. The movement of domestic visitors between regions of New Zealand and the inflow of overseas tourists is a complex and huge undertaking, second only in value to our primary industries global turnover.
Northland, quoting Statistics New Zealand from their June 2009 Guest Night survey, enjoys approximately 4% of the national visitor cake, not a big player compared with Auckland at 21% and Canterbury / Otago at 29%. These figures only relate to paid accommodation and do not take into account visitors staying with friends or relations. To put our region in perspective, we rank 9th out of twelve regions in the country competing for the visitor dollar.
Relative to our region's population and land mass, we receive our fair share of that dollar. The question remains, is that a useful guide for measuring success in a very competitive business? Is the amount of marketing money applied, measured against the visitor numbers enjoyed, a basis of gauging success? All in all it's a very esoteric game which is indulged in primarily by bureaucrats, who take on the regional and national responsibility of growing more visitor dollars using ratepayer and taxpayer funds attempting to conjure up new business.
The combined domestic and overseas visitor numbers are currently running at 9% less in Northland compared to the same time last year, business is easier to lose than to gain when the economic climate decides to have a glitch.
Considering the tourism industry in its most fundamental form, the major parts are transportation, accommodation and visitor attractions.
Viewing this combination of essentials, which of the three key ingredients could be considered the compelling motivation for tourists to visit a specific area ? There are no prizes for selecting the obvious. In the majority of cases people visit to see things and participate in experiences, as such they frequently by-pass Whangarei en route to their final destination further north.
Our nation is very well endowed with nature's bounty, from snowy mountain ranges to large inland lakes and many hundreds of kilometres of the finest coastal scenery in the world. These delights however, have in the past been the preserve of the passive viewer whatever the size of that market sector has been. The day of the tour bus with its forty five passengers firmly fixed to their respective seats has been declining for some years now. Alongside the inveterate looker, there is now a large and growing group who want to be physically involved in their visitor experience.
Outdoor activities and the inherent independence of the individuals involved is not a new pastime. What is emerging now is not just a change in the dynamics of tourism marketing, but rather the desire of people from vastly different backgrounds having a common desire to be involved in a combination of healthy activity and sightseeing at one and the same time. Whether it's called walking, tramping or hiking, whether it's guided or unguided, whether it's a progressive route or a series of daily excursions, the sector that caters for the casual to serious walker is burgeoning.
It is commonly accepted that the size of the accommodation segment feeding off an area's notable attractions is directly proportionate to the number and quality of those attractions. Northland has long relied on maritime scenery and the few established operators who offer forms of interaction with the sea. There has been a marked absence of investors starting totally new forms of attraction for the visitors who are looking for something innovative.
In the last twenty five years in the Whangarei district we have seen two hotels lost to the accommodation business and one new one replace them. A handful of motels have arrived, interestingly enough on our by-pass road to the Far North. Rare is the occasion we see an operator commence in the visitor attraction sector. Even more rare when they are a first in the North.
Claire and Mark Pearson have lived alongside the Whangarei Harbour for over twenty years and have been conscious for much of that time of the tourist potential on the north side of the harbour entrance known as Bream Head.
Claire's interest and participation in walking trails, in different parts of the country, led the pair to the conclusion that our district sadly lacked such a facility and they were conveniently living in the middle of just such a tourist gem. In the spring of 2008 they opened for business, four kilometres inland from Taurikura on the Whangarei Heads Road, as Bream Head Coast Walks. There intention to provide a first class base for three days of coastal and scenic unguided walks that not not only wowed the visual senses but provided top quality food and accommodation that would please the most discriminating.
The glowing plaudits and the level of this coming season's bookings is a true reflection of the standard they have created in establishing a new interactive experience that matches, and probably surpasses, most outdoor ventures you would encounter anywhere.
The Whangarei district and Northland tourism are indeed lucky to have entrepreneurs of the Pearson calibre. They have combined a large capital investment, an incredible energy level, a tourism enthusiasm and a will to succeed into a business venture that because of its unique and timely appearance is going to walk into our tourism initiatives history book here in Northland and right on our doorstep too!
We will continue to need providers of attractions as distinct from businesses that form part of the feeding chain that services the attraction drawn visitor, this is a given in 21st century tourism marketing. The potential clients require more interaction and less eyeballing. If tourism is to move ahead in Northland we need more Pearsons and less platitudes.