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Introduction

Tourism is important as one of New Zealand's largest export industries. Tourism directly and indirectly contributes almost 10% of New Zealand's GDP.

Managed appropriately, tourism can make a sustainable contribution to our quality of life and allow us to experience a range of cultures. Potential visitors differentiate New Zealand from other destinations by our scenery, cultural heritage, safety and purity. Therefore there is potential to further develop the tourism industry based on our 'clean green' image in which sustainable eco-tourism thrives. This can only succeed long term if we make 'clean and green' a reality, not just an advertising slogan.

Green policies are designed to support a transition to sustainability in all parts of our economy. Eco-tourism needs support as part of our commitment to ecologically sustainable development. Tourism itself is putting strain on some of our infrastructure and natural areas, and needs to respond to this challenge. Strategies for the tourism industry must also recognise and address the risk to the industry from diminishing finite resources and accelerating climate change.

Climate change and peak oil

Climate change poses direct risks to many of the natural features on which the local industry is based. Both domestic and international tourism could be affected by changing weather patterns. Pacific Island destinations are at risk from sea-level rise. Our future tourism industry will be dependent on effective international and domestic measures to combat climate change.

Numbers of tourists engaging in international travel are likely to be affected in the future by an increasing cost for fossil fuels and by international measures to reduce carbon emissions. CO2 emissions from jet fuel make a significant contribution to global warming. International measures to combat climate change are highly likely to affect all parts of the world's economy over the next decade. The role of transportation, both international and domestic, will be significant in climate policies. This is likely to require a major change in New Zealand’s tourism strategy if it is to continue to support sustainable tourism ventures and experiences (see Energy Policy for more detail). One obvious consequence is that there will need to be more emphasis on domestic tourism, rather than international tourism. International visitor numbers are likely to plateau and possibly fall. Visits may be less frequent but of a longer duration. The desirability of New Zealand as a destination, and fluctuations in currency are likely to remain significant factors.

Working together

We need an integrated and strategic rethink of our approach to tourism management. A lot of Government activity is still focused on getting more people into the country. We need both a strategic overview and support for communities, tourism operators and agencies such as DOC and the Historic Places Trust to assist and encourage them to maximise visitor experiences.

Most fundamentally, tourism development needs to be linked to the promotion of New Zealand culture both here and overseas. Tourism needs to be based on pride in our identity and mutual respect between visitors and hosts.

Vision

The Green Party envisions an Aotearoa/ New Zealand in which:

• People will choose holidays that enhance their own lives and the lives of all of the other species and communities with which we share the planet.
• New Zealanders will develop a stronger “holiday close to home” focus.
• Overseas visitors will choose to stay longer and visit more parts of New Zealand.
• Visitors will be encouraged to show respect for the natural beauty and heritage of Aotearoa/ New Zealand and to support our efforts to preserve this.

Key Principles

1. Tourism is a significant industry and contributes to national and local economic development

2. The success of the tourism industry relies on the credibility of our 'clean and green' image
3. Tourism must support ecologically sustainable development and not undermine it
4. Tourism must reduce its dependence on finite resources and be managed with the aim of reducing its impact on climate change
5. Tourism should not be subsidised by local or national government, unless the outcome can be shown to have net positive benefits for both the economic and environmental sustainability of New Zealand.
6. Tangata whenua must be involved in tourism policy development, to ensure the best outcome in terms of impact on Maori assets and culture.
7. Tourism must respect indigenous principles such as manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga
8. The tourism industry must be a responsible employer with a well-trained workforce delivering an excellent service.
9. Domestic tourism should increase awareness of our own environment.

Specific Policy Points

1. A strategy for sustainable tourism

Greater strategic communication is needed at the national level in tourism. Public and community input into tourism planning at a strategic level must continue to be supported.

The Green Party will:

1. Support and strengthen the current draft tourism strategy to work to make sure that it represents a sound basis for sustainable tourism.

2. Promoting tourism at home

Domestic tourism is already a very important industry and New Zealanders spend more on domestic tourism than overseas visitors spend while here. There are significant cultural and economic benefits when New Zealanders see their own country rather than head off overseas. Encouraging domestic tourism may also help alleviate pressure on our balance of payments; New Zealand tourists spend a large amount of money overseas. In 2005 there were 2.4 million international visitor arrivals, but 1.8 million New Zealanders travelling abroad.

The Green Party will:

1. Introduce legal changes so that Tourism New Zealand can be directed to spend a higher proportion of its promotional budget on encouraging domestic tourism.

2. Work with industry, community and other stakeholders, e.g. SPARC, to develop a promotional campaign to encourage people to 'get out into the great outdoors,' in order to promote good health, domestic tourism and appreciation of nature.
3. Ensure that appropriate training in tourism is provided and that such training includes strong environmental and cultural components.
4. Support local communities to learn how to manage their own tourism ventures.
5. Support the continuing development of distinct reputations for particular regions, such as Marlborough's wine and food, the West Coast's natural beauty, Northland's beaches, Oamaru's historic buildings, Nelson's arts and culture and Napier's art Deco. This is part of our commitment to strong communities and local economic development.
6. Support and promote schemes for domestic tourists to learn organic farming skills such as WOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms New Zealand, formerly Willing Workers on Organic Farms New Zealand) schemes.

3. Managing the pressure of tourism

The number of overseas visitors to New Zealand more than doubled in the ten years to 2002, although since then the growth has slowed in 2005 and 2006 to under 2%. This increase, along with domestic tourism, puts considerable pressure on the attractions and communities most popular with tourists. Communities and agencies affected by tourists need support.

The Green Party will:

1. Work with local authorities to resolve issues with waste disposal, from camper vans and yachts for example. This will include education for tourists on location of recycling facilities, etc. as part of our commitment to a waste free New Zealand.

2. Establish a community development fund, providing start up capital for ecologically sustainable small businesses and community enterprises, such as eco-tourism.
3. Develop domestic tourism and eco-tourism, especially those based in less well known locations. This will spread tourist pressure around the country.
4. Improve border biosecurity (see our conservation policy for our full biosecurity policy).

4. Eco-tourism

New Zealand has a unique opportunity to capture part of the growing eco-tourism market, as long as we take real action to make our clean green image a reality. Perceptions of cleanliness and purity are somewhat stronger than the reality. The 100% Pure campaign has been instrumental in developing this image but there is a real risk that these perceptions will deteriorate unless we match this with stronger environmental policy.

Many of the Green Party policies will have positive impacts on tourism. For example expanding and upgrading our public transport system will facilitate travel for tourists. Developing marine reserves will provide opportunities for recreational activities such as diving inside reserves and fishing outside them. Similarly creating new national parks and other reserves will enhance the desirability of New Zealand as a place to visit and will help take pressure of existing reserves. See our Conservation, Sea and Ocean and Transport policies for further details.

The Green Party will:

1. Support current initiatives by DOC to make available more DOC land for camping grounds, particularly coastal camp grounds and areas where there are few, or where private or other public camp grounds have closed, at the same time ensuring that this does not affect environmentally sensitive areas.

2. Consider special planning zoning for camp grounds, which are diminishing in the face of rising land prices
3. Require DOC to prioritise recreation over tourism in line with its Conservation Act mandate to "promote recreation" and only "allow for tourism". This differentiation is the basis for which recreation is a mostly 'free' activity in the conservation estate (with some token fees for facilities); whereas commercial tourist operations within the conservation estate are charged concessions. The fact that the department derives more income from tourism (than from recreation) should not influence the Act's explicit prioritisation of recreation.
4. Conduct a feasibility study to look at upgrading and where possible, extending, railways to the main tourist destinations and integrating timetables to allow public transport journeys to be made faster than by car. Other innovative public transport solutions, such as monorails or ferries, will also be investigated.
5. Promote rail as a great way to travel and seek to make it more available and reliable.
6. Build on the success of the Central Otago rail trail by expanding the nationwide network of cycle/pedestrian trails, including a North Cape to the Bluff cycle route. This will help meet the increasing demand from cycle tourists for better facilities. Many former railways, tramways, paper roads and riparian reserves could be used for such trails.
7. Support improved access to waterways and the high country regions for the benefit of locals and tourists.
8. Develop river rafting, canoeing and kayaking where these form sustainable components of the tourism industry.
9. Promote car free areas in inner cities and towns and safer walkways.
10. Take real action to reduce climate change, in order to prevent the erosion of beaches and natural areas on the coast.
11. Support coastal clean-ups, e.g. clean beaches and sewage out of the sea.
12. Restore New Zealand's international reputation as a clean green country through policies such as clean air, clean waterways, Zero Waste, and becoming an Organic Nation, and encourage tourism based around this.
13. Support and promote opportunities for tourists to learn organic farming skills, and ensure that schemes, such as WOOF, do not need a work permit.
14. Promote the advantages of smaller scale, locally owned initiatives like the home stay, the motor camp, the back packers and great local food and the advantages of staying put long enough to really get to know us.
15. Assist tourist providers to promote greater environmental awareness and understanding by tourists.

5. Maori Tourism

Tikanga Maori is unique to this country. Much of our image is built on Tangata whenua culture; including design and waiata/haka. We must be careful to facilitate Maori tourism ventures without exploiting indigenous cultural values, misappropriating Maori intellectual property or impacting negatively on kaitiakitanga.

The Green Party will:

1. Support Tangata whenua establishing a brandmark system to authenticate tourism products and services based on tikanga Maori.

2. Support the role the Maori Arts and Craft Institute in promoting growth of Maori tourism.
3. Support Maori ecological tourism with a focus on promoting kaitiakitanga and sustainable business.

6. Cultural tourism

No other country has iconic cultural landscapes and townscapes, archaeology, architecture, and places of historical and spiritual significance quite like Aotearoa/ New Zealand. These places are important both to local people and to visitors. While tourism threatens to overwhelm some of these important places, if well-managed, opportunities exist to use these places to develop a greater appreciation of our unique and vibrant New Zealand culture both at home and abroad.

The Green Party wishes to maximise sustainable development opportunities whilst minimising impacts on the finite and fragile cultural and historical environment. The management of iconic landscapes and townscapes is crucial to maintaining NZ as a tourist destination. It is also important to avoid misappropriation of intellectual property in the promotion and delivery of tourism products.

The Green Party will:

1. Support both local communities and the tourism sector to protect ‘at risk’ cultural and historic landscapes and townscapes.

2. Establish a brandmark system to authenticate tourism products and services based on NZ cultural heritage, aligned with any similar Tangata whenua system.
3. Work with arts and crafts institutions in order to promote growth in NZ cultural tourism.
4. Promote educational/cultural tours including those with a TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) component.

7. Maintaining high standards

The speed of innovation in New Zealand's tourism industry needs to be supported by quality assurance procedures to ensure high standards of operation. Also tourists exploring our country need know how to keep themselves safe in the outdoors when visiting New Zealand.

The Green Party would direct the Ministry of Tourism to work with the industry to develop:

1. A code of practice and levels of brandmark for eco-tourism indicating activities causing minimal damage to the environment, those with some good environmental practices, even if not making a net contribution (e.g. helicopters and jet boats) and those with no sustainable elements.

2. Workable and effective safety standards and codes, particularly in relation to adventure tourism.
3. A better career structure incorporating comprehensive training opportunities for tourism employees to improve pay parity and staff.
4. Pricing structures which enhance the reputation of value for money tourism, without resorting to high pricing of souvenirs to offset low price packages.
5. Increased education on safety for visiting tourists who may be unaware of the dangers of some outdoors activities such as alpine walks.