Information provision as a key driver of regional visitor spend

Yealands

Addressing regional visitor dispersal

The development of the four valleys and associated supporting town centres concept at the heart of this visitor plan will provide a key tool enabling more effective visitor dispersal.

Dispersal of visitor spending, and experiences will:

• Distribute visitor spend wider to lower population spaces, assist community wellbeing and employment levels

• Encourage new product developments

• Encourage longer stay visits with a wider range of options

• Encourage smaller operators/communities in lesser locations to cluster together to create critical mass

• Assist in reducing loss of social licence in the community e.g., cruise ship visitor volumes.

• Encourage boutique accommodation development

• Engender community pride, build local narrative, and preserve history

• Reduce impact in over exposed places

• Develop sub regional touring and itinerary options – hub & spoke & loops

Information provision as a key driver of regional visitor spread

The provision of the three regional visitor centre i–SITE offices in Blenheim, Picton and seasonally, Havelock, continue to provide a valuable form of information dissemination for the visitor industry and a tangible point of convenient access for visitors.

Information centres, via the oral advice by staff to visitors, can highly influence activity choice, location exploration and length of stay.

Development of regional product experience packaging by the i–SITE can influence the expected experiences, and brand messaging.

i–SITEs also assist in creating a hub for localised visitor industry operators to connect and share ideas and industry knowledge – growing further the areas depth in understanding. Working through Destination Marlborough, the i–SITE offices help manage the connection between the visitor and community to ensure ongoing social licence. i–SITEs provide a tangible embodiment of Manaakitanga – a warm welcome and sharing of knowledge, while at the same time allowing a sharing of Tiaki – ensuring protection of our environment and community – a sharing of views espoused by the Isite teams.

Destination Marlborough also holds a regional agreement with the Department of Conservation to help provide wider information services around visitor opportunities within the conservation estate. This creates a powerful connection and message of authority as the DOC message is passed on by the i–SITE team underpinned by the network’s credibility.

Activities by Destination Marlborough include the provision of website, visiting media and travel trade education ensure the Marlborough message is consistently kept on track and aligned with the wider regional aspiration.

As a destination management organisation, Destination Marlborough undertakes a comparatively high level of operator capability development and works with Tourism Industry Aotearoa, and Tourism New Zealand to instil values and processes around the Tiaki promise and the Tourism Sustainability Commitment programmes.

Road signage and key visitor spot interpretation are also key opportunities to guide unstructured visitors to key locations of interest, assist wayfinding and grow heritage and geographic stories. Signage offers the opportunity for iwi to reintegrate the original place names, and even return it to the authentic handle. Work on this interpretation and naming space with iwi in partnership with agencies including Waka Kotahi, DOC, and MDC could provide a cornerstone framework and catalyst for wider iwi integrations into the visitor industry.

Recent natural emergency events including the time after the Kaikoura and Christchurch earthquakes have highlighted the i–SITE position as a holder of key information, guidance, and communications during times of community and visitor upheaval. During these exceptional times, the ability to provide clear and concise information, supporting services, accommodation, and guidance of people in and out of the region has been absolutely invaluable.