Regions missing out on tourism millions
OPINION: Last week I sent my old Ford Capri booming south to my old hometown of Timaru.
Last year 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 that 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 portacons housing roading contractors. Workers text in their order for mussels and chips, then arrive a few minutes later to pick up parcels of delicious seafood.
Kaikoura township was absolutely pumping when I passed through, in stark contrast to the starve they have enjoyed for the past 12 months. You can’t help but be impressed by the diversity of Kaikoura’s tourism product, 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 car park of the quake-damaged ‘‘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 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.
Apart from the periodic whiff of the Sandfords fish factory, Caroline Bay was the same great swimming spot that I remember.
Meanwhile, the old standbys of Mays Mutton Pies and gumboot tea have been replaced with fine eateries and boutique coffee roasters. Timaru’s even got a craft brewery now, Ship Hop Brewing, which serves a respectable IPA.
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 Caroline Bay. Both fine ideas but it’s not enough. For an attractive seaside town, 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. 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 the Hector’s dolphin, something Akaroa has made great use of.
There are also plenty of potential manmade attractions as well, including: the fine selection of restored historical houses; the opportunity to do immersion visits into traditional pastoral farms like Craigmore, Bluecliffs Station and Totara Estate; and the Maori rock drawings in Frenchman’s Gully.
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 South Canterbury.
The latest statistics from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment 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’s 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 $10 billion.
Of that, $4.3b is spent in the regions and I, for one, am keen to see that grow, and the likes of Timaru get more of that money. All that’s needed is a little recalibration. A bit like me, really.
Each waitron I asked had two suggestions – shopping in town or going to Caroline Bay. Both fine ideas but it's not enough.
❚ 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, he is also a director of Tourism New Zealand.