Interpretation New Zealand

Naumai

In my last post I suggested that one of futures choices in New Zealand tourism was to develop a variety of themed products and/or delivery of themes . After all many of our international and domestic visitors travel a familiar route through the country, touching on many iconic destinations along the way.

The key word in the opening paragraph is variety. If the product or the product delivery cannot be varied, then at least the way the theme/stories are delivered should.

Nearly two weeks on the road with American travellers recently re-enforced that thinking. From arriving in the country not knowing anything about possums the group left the country with the very strong impression that New Zealanders were fixated with possums.

The p word was mentioned every day. On one occasion an award winning operation from Queenstown, subjected us to three possum stories by three different guides – all within the space of a few hours.

Sure each story was generally correct and slightly different, but in that case the operator should have ensured other more telling and immediate stories were shared, and certainly not repeated!

This is not deride the stirling efforts of everyone seeking to control possums. It is simply a reflection on what was delivered by tourism operators and the overwhelming take away message: that surely this could be done better.

Ka kite ano

Malcolm