Queenstown, West Coast residents are the most fed up with tourists

Thursday, 9 May 2019

Aucklanders feel more positive about overseas visitors than Queenstown residents.

The latest Mood of the Nation research done for the tourism industry shows big regional differences in attitude.

And just over half of New Zealanders believe predicted international tourism growth is too high, a figure that has continued to trend upwards over the last three years.

Auckland and Wellington residents are the most positive towards tourism while the highest levels of concern are in Queenstown and the West Coast.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Chris Roberts said the latest twice yearly survey was done at the end of a busy summer season and highlighted a big difference in attitudes between Queenstown residents and those living elsewhere in Otago.

Queenstown residents were more likely to think there is too much pressure from international visitors (76 per cent) compared to the rest of Otago (47 per cent).

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Flood damage to the Waiho Bridge near Franz Josef hit some West Coast tourism businesses hard when it cut road access, leaving many commercial accommodation providers with empty beds.

Queenstown residents also have more concerns around traffic congestion, accommodation prices, road accidents and staff shortages.

Roberts said this was no surprise. 'Queenstown is a hugely popular destination for Kiwis and international visitors, who pour billions of dollars into the Queenstown economy.

'While locals do generally acknowledge the benefits of tourism, they also experience the pressures of growth.'

The survey was carried out before the West Coast tourism industry suffered a significant setback when the Waiho Bridge at Franz Josef was washed out, closing the through route along State Highway 6 for almost three weeks, and Roberts suggested the results may have been different had the survey been done post-flood.

'Businesses along the whole length of the West Coast suffered, highlighting the importance of tourism to the region's economy.'

Last year New Zealand attracted 3.9m international visitors and a quarter of residents surveyed thought those numbers were too high, while 43 per cent felt tourism put too much pressure on the country, more than double the percentage in late 2015.

A lack of adequate infrastructure, overcrowding and environmental concerns continue to be key reasons why New Zealanders are anxious about forecast growth in the visitor market.

Concerns about traffic congestion have increased significantly since the last survey in November, but the shortage of accommodation is much less of an issue.

Fewer Kiwis are convinced that tourism adds vitality to the regions, and there has been a slight increase in the number (26 per cent) who feel that Government and the industry are not doing enough to address the pressures of tourism growth.

Roberts said the industry was trying hard to address community concerns.

'For our most popular destinations, the tourism industry must work closely with central and local government to improve visitor management. For less visited regions, more can be done to encourage regional dispersal.'