Indicators of Sustainable Tourism in New Zealand: A Local Government Perspective

The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) established a set of core indicators of sustainable tourism in 1995, which were promoted as a useful tool in the operationalisation of sustainable tourism development. Local authorities provide an established framework within which to operationalise the WTO's core indicators of sustainable tourism. This paper examines the extent to which sustainable tourism is reflected in the research practices and attitudes of local authorities within New Zealand. A nationwide survey investigated the importance of tourism, the current status of research and the perceived value of the WTO's core indicators of sustainable tourism within the New Zealand local authority framework (regional councils, territorial local authorities and regional tourism organisations). The importance of tourism within local authority areas was positively correlated with the number of different research activities undertaken.Two main types of research were identified: demand-related and supply-related research. Demand -related research is undertaken within the majority of local authority areas throughout New Zealand. However, supply-related research is under-represented. The WTO's core indicators were generically grouped into economic, planning, social and ecological indicator types. Regional councils showed a preference towards ecological indicators. Territorial local authorities and regional tourism organisations preferred economic and social indicators. The detailed implications are discussed.     

Towards Sustainable Tourism Development and Planning in New Zealand: The Public Sector Response Revisited

This paper reports the findings of a monitoring survey of the extent to which principles of sustainability embodied in New Zealand's Resource Management Act have been addressed by public-sector planners dealing with tourism. The survey extends the earlier research by Dymond (1997) and Page and Thorn (1997) on public-sector planning responses to tourism and sustainability in New Zealand. The study shows that many of the issues raised by these authors have not been addressed, and that the scale and pace of change in tourism is such that planners have seen an escalation of resource consent applications.     

Community agency and sustainable tourism development: the case of La Fortuna,Costa Rica

Previous sustainable tourism research has called for the promotion of community-based tourism as a means of achieving sustainable development goals. Such community-based development has been noted as essential for sustainable practices because of its capacity to benefit local populations while reducing tourism's negative consequences. Nonetheless, some researchers have warned that community-based tourism, by itself, does not necessarily lead to sustainable practices. This study examines local social interactional elements necessary for the achievement of sustainable tourism practices. Such practices are attainable when certain attitudinal, organizational and/or behavioral conditions are present within a community. Using a case study methodology, this article examines the interactional elements by which residents of La Fortuna, Costa Rica, engaged in sustainable tourism practices. The study was based on the theoretical notion of the community field. It used key informant interviews and participant observation. The study shows how economic, social and environmentally sustainable practices were made possible through community agency, the construction of local relationships that increase the adaptive capacity of people within a common locality. Key factors found to enable community agency are strong intra- and extra-community interactions, open communication, participation, distributive justice and tolerance.     

Labour,leisure and household income in rural settlements: an empirical assessment in the Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica

The relationship between labour use, the availability of leisure time and the generation of income in rural farm households is often depicted as an implicit or explicit trade-off. This article presents a review of current theories regarding the supply, demand and use of labour at farm household level, followed by an empirical assessment of time allocation of labour and the composition of farm household income in a sample of peasant households located in different types of agrarian settlements at the Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica. Structural determinants of labour use and leisure choice, as well as the relationship between household income and the availability of leisure are determined. Major differences in land use and labour allocation between settlements according to the period of colonization (old or recent) and the type of colonization (spontaneous or organized) are outlined. Small farms in organized settlements rely on labour-intensive cropping systems that guarantee higher incomes at the expense of leisure, while farms in spontaneous and more remote settlements still maintain labour-extensive production with reliance on wage labour. Empirical evidence points towards a clear trade-off between leisure-time and marginal income as well as possibilities for substitution of family labour by hired labour to increase leisure. Personal characteristics ( i.e. education, age, work attitudes) and farm characteristics ( i.e. location, farm size, lifetime) are identified as relevant factors to explain leisure choice.     

Sustaining the Physical and Social Dimensions of Wilderness Tourism: The Perceptual Approach to Wilderness Management in New Zealand

The dynamics of the tourism industry are well illustrated by the case of New Zealand's tourism development over the last decade. The number of international tourists visiting New Zealand has doubled in the last ten years to approximately 1.5 million annual visitors. Associated with this growth has been a significant shift in patterns of tourist demand. No longer do most tourists simply comply with established tourist routes linking the high profile scenic attractions. Rather tourists have demonstrated a preference for more independent and dispersed patterns of travel, including an increase in demand for settings that offer subjective qualities of wilderness experience. This poses a complex but intriguing management challenge. If wilderness recreation involves pristine natural settings in the complete absence of facility development and visitor management, then these resources are more prone to degradation so than any other natural tourism resources. This paper suggests that an understanding of tourist perceptions of wilderness is crucial to the management of wilderness tourism, and considers the application of the perceptual approach to wilderness tourism as a means of sustaining wilderness values while promoting the satisfaction of visitor expectations.     

World Heritage Listing and the Evolving Issues Related to Tourism and Heritage: Cases from Australia and New Zealand

The relationship between heritage and tourism at Word Heritage Sites is thought to be particularly problematic. Yet, each year more heritage sites gain this status. This paper explores the issues that emerge between tourism and heritage at two heritage sites, one with World Heritage listing and the other embarking on the application process. Interview data were collected in relation to the Royal Exhibition Buildings and Carlton Gardens (REB), Australia and Oamaru's Historic Precinct, New Zealand; secondary data were used to contextualise the findings. The findings of the two case studies indicate that the process, and outcomes, of World Heritage (WH) status influence the nature of the relationship between heritage and tourism. The findings of this case study analysis indicated that prospect of WH listing seems to be a catalyst for decision-making and developing networks between the various stakeholders of heritage and tourism, but heritage stakeholders seem to be grappling for power at this time. Once the listing process is successful, heritage then seems to gain the balance of power, and tourism seems to be less successful in controlling the situation. Further research is warranted on this topic to explore whether the findings from two sites can be generalised to other heritage sites.     

Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF): A Neglected Aspect of Farm Tourism in New Zealand

Despite the importance of farm tourism to many rural communities in New Zealand, there has been no attention given to the contribution of the Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) venture to farm tourism in New Zealand. While the primary objective of the venture is organic farming, the facilitation of tourism experiences on the farm remains an additional concern among WWOOF hosts. This paper is based on a postal survey of 67 WWOOF hosts located in four main regions of New Zealand's South Island. The study sought to understand the management of WWOOF farms in relation to their role in providing tourism opportunities, to determine the reasons for becoming a WWOOF host, to provide a demographic profile of hosts and evaluate the environmental values and attitudes held by hosts. The study findings highlighted that WWOOF hosting has over recent years provided an increasing contribution to farm tourism in New Zealand. The study also provided some evidence to suggest that the motivations and experiences of WWOOF hosts were notably different from that of other farm tourism hosts. In particular, environmental ethic and shared knowledge of organic practices were considered essential.     

A Framework for Managing the Biophysical Effects of Tourism on the Natural Environment in New Zealand

Tourists in New Zealand often impact on the natural environments that are the very reason for their visits. It is, therefore, necessary to manage those natural environments to help ensure that tourism is an environmentally sustainable activity. To assist that management process, it is helpful to establish an overarching classification framework so that consistent guidelines and environmental performance standards can be applied. This paper describes a framework for management of the biophysical impacts of tourism using a natural environment classification of the assets visited by tourists. 'Best available information' is then used to develop indicators of environmental change and associated guidelines for management at a range of levels. As a minimum, broad guidelines can be developed for the upper levels of each component of the classification. More detailed and site-specific guidelines are available in some circumstances, where appropriate research has been undertaken. Ongoing evaluation of the combination of indicators and guidelines establishes if the natural attraction is being sustainably managed. The system has been applied to 'scenic icons', wildlife attractions and caves on the West Coast of the South Island.     

杭州旅游:新城市新模式新发展

从研究者自我融入与审视的视角出发,以城市旅游发展为分析接入点,对杭州旅游业发展基本脉络与特征研判后认为,杭州城市旅游未来的发展来自系列化的旅游创新,核心是三全体系的建构,即全要素旅游资源、全环节旅游产品和全领域旅游产业,但杭州开拓性旅游业未来发展的部分障碍也需要给予重点关注.以杭州为案例地的城市旅游发展模式、经验与问题对国内类同旅游地有重要的借鉴和参考价值.     

低碳旅游:一种新的旅游发展方式

随着人类生态文明建设进程的推进,低碳经济、低碳技术、碳汇机制、低碳消费方式正日益影响和诱导着人类的生产和消费方式。旅游作为人类文明进步的产物,具有响应低碳经济模式、运用低碳技术、推行碳汇机制、倡导低碳消费方式的先天优势。以营造低碳旅游吸引物、建设低碳旅游设施、培育碳汇旅游体验环境和倡导低碳旅游消费方式为主要实现路径的低碳旅游发展方式,是旅游响应低碳经济发展方式的具体行动,为生态文明新时代背景下的可持续旅游发展方式提供了新的发展指向。     

The Closer Economic Relationship Between Australia and New Zealand:

The closer economic relationship trade agreement (CER) between Australia and New Zealand has substantial implications for travel and tourism in the two countries. This study provides a discussion of the development of new branding strategies at both the inter and international level. In addition, New Zealand appears set to benefit greatly from its improved access to the much larger Australian market.     

Surface Transport Distribution Channels in New Zealand

Abstract

This paper complements recent research on distribution in the airline industry by examining distribution channels for a range of surface transport businesses (coaches, rental cars, campervans, rail and inter-island ferries) in New Zealand. The study takes a national perspective, adopts a supply-side approach and is based on the analysis of information from in-depth interviews with selected providers. Particular emphasis is given to establishing the nature of the channels used and to the factors that contribute to differences and similarities in channel structures from one form of transport or product to another. Three broad classes of channels are identified: direct; conventional travel intermediaries; and local intermediaries. While carriers use multiple channels, broader patterns do emerge related to particular forms of travel and market segments.     

重塑现代性,开启旅游研究回归范式

文章批判了旅游研究逃离范式否定现代性以及由此导致的研究取向和研究方法方面的缺陷,通过梳理旅游现代性研究的内在脉络,呼吁重塑旅游现代性的回归研究范式,并抵制批判旅游现代性的研究危险.基于群体旅游这一社会普遍事实,从具体的经验研究开始,展示旅游的群体性与现代性以及群体/日常生活世界与旅游/旅游世界的相互影响,通过与逃离范式的比较,支持了回归范式重回归、结构/关系和群体的研究主张.研究指出:(1)旅游的目的是回归日常生活世界而非逃离;(2)蓬勃发展的大众旅游是旅游现代性的展现,也是旅游研究的根基所在;(3)旅游现象的关系/结构特质是旅游学科独立的基础,理应回归到旅游研究的中心;(4)旅游研究的回归范式具有沟通个体和社会结构、整合游客旅游世界与日常生活世界方面的重要作用.基于群体/关系/结构的回归范式抓住了旅游现象区别于其他社会现象的关键特征,可以成为产生独立旅游知识体系的方法论基础.     

Bicycle tourism in the South Island of New Zealand: planning and management issues

Several emerging trends are pointing to the re-emergence of the bicycle as an important leisure and recreational transportation mode. Yet little research has been conducted into cycling within a tourism context. This paper examines the increasing phenomenon of bicycle tourism by defining bicycle tourists and bicycle tourism from a demand perspective, and describes the characteristics, infrastructure and travel behaviour associated with bicycle tourism through the examination of data collected on independent cycle tourists in the South Island of New Zealand. It illustrates through performance-importance analysis, the areas of major concern in the planning and management of bicycle tourism, and recommends that a demand side perspective is needed if the supply side of the industry is to be sustainable in the future. It makes recommendations for the future planning and management of bicycle tourism in New Zealand that may be of interest to countries currently developing cycle tourism.     

Heritage Tourism in the 21st Century: Valued Traditions and New Perspectives

The present article uses the example of the Alta Museum to discuss how museums have become dependent on tourism as a necessary source of income. This dependency has often been regarded as a challenge to the scholarly quality of the exhibits. The article argues that the involvement in tourism has less impact on what is represented by the museum and more on how the museum needs to represent the exhibition and its context. The article discusses the possible conflicts and contradictions between the traditional ideology of museums and modern tourism. The Alta Museum is then analysed in order to demonstrate how the museum is involved in a tourism system in which location is vital. The last part of the article analyses the Alta Museum in relation to the concepts of McDonaldisation and Disneyization. This analysis reveals the importance for museums to adapt to modes of productions that are familiar to international tourists. Museums thus become spaces for having a ‘good time’.     

Perceptions of workplace bullying in the New Zealand travel industry: Prevalence and management strategies

Workplace bullying is a major cause of stress and psychological harm for employees and a costly problem for organisations. Within the travel industry, little is known about the extent and nature of the workplace bullying problem. This paper reports on findings from a survey of 332 New Zealand travel industry staff and managers. The finding that more than one-in-ten respondents experienced bullying in the workplace indicates a significant problem for the sector. In comparison to those who had not experienced bullying, targets of bullying reported lower levels of constructive leadership, colleague support, and supervisor support, and lower self-rated performance. Targets also reported higher levels of stress, lower levels of emotional wellbeing, higher absenteeism, and a higher intention to leave the organisation. Organisational responses to bullying reported to be most effective were those that focused on improvements in communication and relationships. The paper discusses the importance of leadership in developing a bully-free culture within organisations.     

他山之石可以攻玉——赴澳、新职业教育考察感悟

澳、新两国的职业技术教育管理及办学质量处于世界前列,享誉世界。该文简要介绍了赴澳、新两国考察职业技术教育的情况,详细分析了澳、新职教的办学特色,归纳了澳、新职教的五大亮点,以供国内职业技术教育界同行作为办学的借鉴与参考。