Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter

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Need for Sustainability

Challenges of Tourism

In 2006, international and domestic travellers spent a total of $440.4million in the Rotorua region. The tourism industry also created an estimated 7,000-7,500 full-time equivalent jobs in the region. While there are many positive aspects of tourism, it is an industry which has the potential to negatively impact the physical and social/cultural environments.

Physical

Social / Cultural

Resources
• Due to higher consumption, tourism development increases pressure on local resources
• Resources under pressure by tourism include water quality and supply, infrastructural services, energy sources, sensitive environments, waste disposal sites and land use

Pollution
• Pollution from the tourism industry include air and noise emissions, solid waste, littering, discharge of sewage, chemicals and wastewater and architectural/visual pollution

Physical Environment
• The physical environment include the natural environment, landscapes and recreational sites
• Impacts of tourism on the physical environment are felt at the construction and operation stage, with land clearing and continuing activities

• Tourism is a fierce competitor for resources which may mean that local residents are displaced
• As tourism in a destination increases, the community’s attitude toward visitors decreases, consistent with the model below:

Host Irritation Towards Tourism

Euphoria
Visitors and investors welcome

Apathy
Visitors taken for granted
Formal relationship between hosts and guests developed

Annoyance
Residents misgivings about tourism
Range of saturation points approached

Antagonism
Irritations openly expressed
Residents perceive tourists as the cause of the problems

(Doxey, 1989)

Rotorua is currently in the Apathy stage

Importance of a Sustainable Tourism Industry

To reduce the impacts of tourism on the physical and social/cultural environment, the industry needs to adopt a sustainability approach. Sustainable tourism also results in economic benefits.

Physical

Social/Cultural

Economic

Sustainable tourism:

• Achieves development that is compatible with ecological processes, biological diversity and biological resources
• New Zealand’s target tourism market, the interactive traveller, are environmentally and culturally aware and have an expectation of high quality
• The interactive traveller also understand the impacts of tourism and appreciate operators who are the same
• New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2010: actively protect, support and promote our natural environment to ensure that tourism growth is sustainable

Sustainable tourism:

• Provides opportunities for social inclusion that is compatible with the culture and values of the community
• Designed to benefit local communities and to generate and retain income
• Sustainable tourism has proven to revitalise cultures and traditions
• New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2010: promote social and cultural equity, and increase the quality of life for New Zealanders

Sustainable tourism:

• Ensures the economic stability of tourism businesses and strengthens opportunities for future growth
• Increases the market share of Rotorua tourism businesses, and therefore the long-term viability of the Rotorua tourism industry
• Interactive travellers are of growing importance to New Zealand. To cater for this market will achieve economic benefits
• Creates efficiency savings within businesses
• New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2010: grow the wider economic benefits of tourism, with a strong focus on business yield

Example of Charter Commitments

The Rotorua Sustainable Tourism Charter is an approach to adopt sustainability. The Charter requires member businesses to complete a Statement of Actions taken that protect the physical and social/cultural environment. This in turn will achieve the long-term viability and economic prosperity of the Rotorua tourism industry. Click here >>> to view the Charter member statement of action for 2007.

Physical

Social / Cultural

• Implement water conservation measures

• Buy products in bulk and with less packaging to reduce waste and storage, transport and disposal costs

• Incorporate environmental criteria into purchasing and supply decisions, including cleaning and maintenance contract specifications

• Identify and implement waste minimisation, re-use and recycling initiatives

• Enhance awareness of energy consumption

• Keep the local community informed of our sustainability initiatives through existing channels of communication

• Establish a partnership with a local school to support and increase community well-being

• Work with indirect suppliers to implement measures that improve waste management practises

• Liaise with local Iwi to explore opportunities for enhanced cultural information provision and interpretation

The story of Rotorua

Rotorua’s story begins in the mid 1300s, when the Arawa canoe arrived at Maketu on the Bay of Plenty coastline. A young Te Arawa man, Ihenga, is said to have discovered Rotorua. He was hunting for delicacies for his pregnant wife when one of his dogs disappeared chasing a kiwi. The dog returned some time later with his coat wet and regurgitated a meal of half digested fish. Ihenga realised he was near water, so he searched until he discovered Lake Rotoiti and later, Lake Rotorua.

Local Maori have hosted visitors as far back as the 1800s, when people from all over the world came to see the Pink and White Terraces at Lake Rotomahana. Known as the eight wonder of the world because of the elaborate beauty of these natural sinter formations, the Pink and White Terraces were destroyed in 1886 when Mount Tarawera erupted.

The loss of 150 lives and devastation of the surrounding area, meant the people of the nearby villages moved away to rebuild their lives. The people of Whakarewarewa invited them to settle in the geothermal valley where they continued to host and guide visitors. Both their descendants and the people of Rotorua continue this proud tradition today by fulfilling the promise of Manaakitanga.

Manaakitanga
is the responsibility of guardianship over resources placed on the Rotorua community and an invitation to visitors to share in those resources.

Play your part in sustainability by choosing to visit Charter members. Charter members can be identified by this symbol on display at their business, on the rotoruaNZ.com website, and in the Rotorua i-SITE.