Regions missing out on tourism
OPINION: Last week I sent my old Ford Capri booming south to my old hometown of Timaru.
2017 was a year of change for me, in matters both professional and personal, so early 2018 was a time for recalibration. And where better to do that than Timaru, the seaside locale that once positioned itself as the Riviera of the South.
As always, the journey was as important as the destination and I was keen to check out the Kaikoura coast landscape now the road is open again.
Always dramatic, the coast road now boasts new islands and beaches, and a plethora of new eateries. Some old favourites remain, including the iconic ‘‘Nin’s Bin’’ crayfish caravan near Ohau Point. Once solitary, Nin’s Bin is now immersed in a bustling village of portable buildings housing roading contractors.
Kaikoura township was absolutely pumping when I passed through, in stark contrast to the starve they have enjoyed for the last 12 months.
You can’t help but be impressed by the depth and diversity of the tourism product Kaikoura has on offer, from the globally recognised whale watch operations, to dolphin swimming, groper fishing, caving, river rafting and back country excursions.
It was also great to see the new Waiau Tavern doing a good trade. The temporary building located in the carpark of the earthquakedamaged ‘‘Grand Lady’’ Waiau Hotel, boasts a very warm welcome and a toasted sandwich the size of a Kenworth truck. And as my pointer Cactus found out, dogs are well catered-for out on the veranda.
Finally, I got to Timaru and the place was looking prosperous. Downtown there wasn’t an empty shop to be found, and out along the Washdyke highway, the tractor and farming equipment businesses were groaning with million-dollar kit.
Meanwhile the elegant old houses that started looking a bit shoddy during Timaru’s lean times have been bought by the well-heeled and renovated back to their post-war glory.
All in all, the town is in as good a shape as I remember it from 30 years ago. But that’s part of the problem. There’s little new in terms of stuff for tourists to do.
Each waitron I asked had two suggestions – shopping in town or going to down to Caroline Bay. Both fine ideas but it’s just not enough. For an attractive seaside town, in the middle of tourism season there’s a dearth of good tourism product.
This means the region is unlikely to be getting its fair share of the thousands of tourists that pass through South Canterbury every week; tourists that spend on average between $200 and $300 a day. And that makes me sad.
It’s not as if there isn’t a decent selection of natural resources to build product around.
The nearby Rangitata and Waitaki rivers could provide great rafting or jetboating. The old railway link from Fairlie to Timaru is a natural for a biking trail (including a tasty stop at the Denheath Custard Square company). Meanwhile the waters offshore are frequented by Hector’s dolphins, something Akaroa has made great use of.
What’s needed is a preparedness by commercial operators to look at the demand, take on some risk, build the product and market it to tourists.
To do this they need good information about exactly what sort of tourists are passing through. The latest MBIE statistics suggest Australians are the largest foreign tourist group by far (21 per cent), followed by Chinese (16 per cent) British (11 per cent) and Americans (9 per cent).
Regions can further triangulate this data by drawing on Statistics New Zealand quarterly retail spend patterns. A bit of help from the local economic development agencies wouldn’t go amiss either.
Sadly, Timaru is not alone. Many of our provincial towns and cities just aren’t set up to offer commissionable tourism experiences. But some are; with the likes of Napier, Dannevirke and Oamaru showing the way.
Tourism is now established as this country’s biggest export earner with 3.7 million visitors a year, spending over $10 billion. Of that, $4.3b is spent in the regions and I, for one, am keen to see that regional spend grow, and the likes of Timaru get more of that money.
It’s not difficult, all that’s needed is a little recalibration. A bit like me really.
❚ Mike ‘‘MOD’’ O’Donnell is a consultant and professional director. His Twitter handle is @modsta and he’s rather fond of Denheath custard squares. Disclosure of interest – while this column is MOD’s personal opinion, it’s noted that he is a director of Tourism New Zealand.