Speaking at a chamber of commerce event in the resort, Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) chief executive Chris Roberts said there had been much discussion since the Covid-19 lockdown about the ‘‘value over volume equation’’.
However, he disliked the notion of the ‘‘low-value visitor’’.
‘‘A quality visitor can be a backpacker who spends a lifetime coming back again and again,’’ Mr Roberts said.
It could also be a family from Timaru who came during the off-season, had a great time, and went home and told all their friends.
‘‘Let’s stop obsessing about the high-value visitor, and instead focus on how we deliver value to the visitor.’’
Mr Roberts’ message is at odds with that of Tourism Minister Stuart Nash, who told a TIA conference last November the tourism industry needed a ‘‘reset’’, and when the borders reopened, should target wealthy tourists rather than freedom campers and backpackers.
The topic of yesterday’s event, which also featured talks by Business Events Industry Aotearoa chief executive Lisa Hopkins, Air New Zealand chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty and Department of Conservation director-general Lou Sanson, was how to make tourism ‘‘more inclusive and accessible’’ for New Zealanders.
Mr Roberts said one way of encouraging New Zealanders to continue travelling domestically after the borders reopened was differential pricing, in which tourism operators offered discounts for popular attractions or experiences, or charged international visitors more.
Most online booking websites asked users where they were from, which gave operators the ability to provide locals or New Zealanders discounts without other users being aware of it.
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Yes and organizations like that which Mr Roberts represents need to stop attempting to drive campers with out certification to Holiday Parks and realize that Freedom Campers were never Holiday Park customers and never will be, and that Holiday parks should be grateful for the support they do get from freedom campers. After all the research shows the money saved on accommodation is often spent on activities and attractions - without which even Holiday parks would struggle to survive. Meantime the obsession over Certified self containment is doing more harm then good with both Minister Nash & Maureen Pugh MP blaming freedom Campers for irresponsible behaviour based on little more than evidence of littering and/or toileting on road side - I have news for them its not just Freedom Campers who need to go to the toilet while travelling. Most freedom campers (certified or not) carry toilets of some description and thus as a group freedom campers are the ones least likely to be irresponsible. Meantime lest have a Govt Led inquiry into why NZ's freedom camping situation has been allowed to become the shambles it has and who is responsible for that .