Community Tourism Toolkit

Last updated: September 2008

Introduction and Scope

Tourism is a visible industry which often appears in the same places and uses the same services as the local community. Tourism in New Zealand is predicted to continue growing, so its associated advantages and disadvantages will become more visible.

Destination management is the key to ensuring that tourism meets both community and visitor expectations, and local authorities are well placed to direct or contribute to this.

This Toolbox provides checklists and survey methodologies to help you identify what information you need about your community’s attitudes to tourism in the region, and then to gather it.

Why use this Toolbox?

Tourism’s visibility tends to encourage a high level of community interest, in contrast to agriculture or other industries which often take place out of sight of many New Zealanders. Negative impacts, whether real or perceived, can attract considerable attention.
For local authorities, consultation is important to allow for community input into the planning, management and marketing of tourism. This will ensure maximum benefits and minimal problems for visitors, industry, community and the environment (see VICE model). Consultation about a range of issues, including tourism, is also important in meeting the Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP) provisions of the Local Government Act (2002).

For local authorities dealing with tourism, effective community consultation can:

Assist tourism to support a community’s economic and social goals (community outcomes);
Provide confirmation for the local authority that an initiative is appropriate;
Provide support for new initiatives;
Increase the awareness of tourism within the community;
Increase the pride in the destination and what it has to offer the visitor;
Create a welcoming attitude to visitors.