How many tourists will be too many?

By 2025 it is estimated there will be as many people visiting New Zealand as those who live here.

In the past year alone, the number of international tourists has jumped to 3.9 million.

Now, the latest episode in Frank Film’s Changing South series asks how many tourists are too many tourists?

It is a delicate debate, with tourism having surpassed dairy as our biggest export earner, amassing 21 per cent of foreign exchange earnings. On average, international visitors spend a whopping $44 million a day here.

The majority of our international visitors travel the least distance, across the Tasman.

Australians make up 39 per cent of visitor arrivals, ahead of China (12 per cent) and the United States (9 per cent).

Otago University tourism Professor James Higham said ‘‘historically we have had a focus on tourist maximisation based on visitor numbers and contribution to the economy’’ but he cautions that ‘‘questions are now being asked about the capacity to receive and accommodate increasing numbers of tourists’’.

The questions relate mainly to tourism’s effect on the New Zealand environment, on which there are few studies. Frank Film understands the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, is set to release a report on the environmental impact of tourism in

Tourists at Hooker Valley at Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park.

coming months. Of growing concern globally is the high environmental cost of getting to New Zealand, with a return flight from London to Auckland carrying a carbon footprint of about

7000 kilograms, equivalent to a petrol-powered car travelling

40,000 kilometres, according to Enviro-Mark Solutions’ online emissions calculator.

The growing awareness of aviation emissions is resulting in ‘‘flight shaming’’, especially in Europe. ‘‘Six weeks ago a German newspaper published an article discouraging German tourists from travelling so far to their chosen destinations,’’ Higham said. ‘‘The feature comparative image was Milford Sound and the article highlighted fjords in Norway that could be visited by German tourists at a far lower environmental cost.’’

Tourists approached by Frank Film on the streets of Christchurch

were all aware of the issue but in the words of one visitor from France: ‘‘If you want to come here, you don’t really have a choice.’’

Higham warned tourism could create social pressures too, with small towns having to fund facilities from a small ratepayer base.

An international visitor levy of $35 was introduced this year but Higham said we could go further.

He believed the National Parks Act, drawn up in 1952, should be amended to include a charge for tourists.

‘‘Now, with 5 million New Zealanders and 4 million visitors you need to question whether free access to the national parks is still viable.’’

Higham said the issues were pressing and local communities needed to be involved in any discussions on what the future of tourism might look like in New Zealand.