Introduction

Find out about previous destination management projects DOC has supported.

Arthur’s Pass

In 2019 DOC led a planning project for Arthur’s Pass and the visitor journey along SH73. Up to $300,000 of International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) funding was allocated to the project.

The work was  to enable collaborative and multi-agency destination planning in the area. The project involved Ngāi Tūāhuriri, KiwiRail, MBIE Tourism, Waka Kotahi, Selwyn District Council, local community members and other stakeholders.

This work was to provide thinking for decisions such as:

  • how to showcase this outstanding natural area;
  • how to make better use of the village’s naturally-constricted footprint; and
  • how to entice visitors to stay longer in the village

For DOC, key considerations included:

  • connecting more New Zealanders and others, with the area's natural and cultural heritage;
  • serving the park’s many existing users;
  • how best to provide a visitor information service; and
  • opportunities to improve walking tracks, camp sites and other DOC amenities.

Destination and Investment Framework report

Stafford Strategy was engaged to produce a Destination and Investment Framework. This report made recommendations for the village, national park and other attractions along SH73. The recommendations were made  based on an assessment of market needs, and feedback from the community and stakeholders.

The report indicates that, with the right investment and co-ordination, Arthurs Pass Village and the SH73 visitor journey couldprovide more  benefit to both conservation and South Island tourism – including a role in supporting the West Coast’s economy.

Read the report

Sections of this report have been redacted.

Outcomes and next steps

Next steps would be to review the proposals from conservation and iwi / hapū perspectives. Funding for any next steps is constrained, so DOC continues to progress planning work for some of the report recommendations for public conservation land.

Te Manahuna ki Uta/Mackenzie Basin and Aoraki

Te Manahuna Ki Uta is a long-term, multi-partner, strategic visitor plan led by Mackenzie District Council. The Basin is recognised as a World Heritage Area, International Dark Sky Reserve and an Outstanding Natural Landscape.

For Ngāi Tahu, it is a significant cultural landscape, home to Aoraki, where tīpuna live and provide an unbreakable connection to the past. The council worked together with Papatipu Rūnaka, DOC and other agencies on DMP for Te Manahuna/Mackenzie Basin.

Visit Te Manahuna Ki Uta - Destination Mackenzie | Mackenzie District Council to view the plan.

Waiau Weheka South Westland

Te Wāhipounamu - South West New Zealand World Heritage and the Westland Tai Poutini National Park are iconic components within Aotearoa’s tourism brand and the international visitor journey across Te Wai Pounamu. The Fox and Franz Joseph glaciers have rapidly retreated in the last decade, causing the visitor viewing experience to evolve and change.

In 2020 DOC worked with iwi, government agencies, local agencies, stakeholders, and the communities in South Westland to consider options to adapt the visitor experience in the region to respond to climate change impacts.

In time it may be necessary to shift the focus on glacier tourism to showcasing the pristine nature of South Westland through diversifying the visitor experience beyond the Glacier Valleys. 

Any long-term adaptive response must happen alongside other natural hazard management planning, such as Franz Josef Township and SH6 flood protection. DOC is now collaborating with partners and stakeholders to help develop a joined-up resilience strategy for the district.

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