Entirely fortuitous Pakiri–Pūhoi clash

Shweeb Connection: An attendee of last year’s International Competence Network of Tourism Research and Education conference, Benjamin Reichelt of Hochschule Westkueste (West Coast University of Applied Sciences) Germany, experiences the sublime Shweeb. The conference was organised by the School of Hospitality and Tourism in association with the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute—the latter will be presenting its Pakiri–Pūhoi visitor research and strategy at Warkworth on 5 September. photographer Michael Lūck

It would have made for a perfect Mahurangi Club topic.

In the event, the next first-Monday-of-the-month clashed with the date chosen by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development to hold a public meeting to present research to inform a Pakiri–Pūhoi visitor strategy, and to present a strategy prepared by the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute.

So the decision was easy: Skip the September Mahurangi Club and help publicise the Pakiri–Pūhoi meeting, in the Mahurangi College Hall, on 5 September—it even shares the same starting time: 5.30‍ ‍pm.

Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development, an Auckland Council-controlled organisation of which ex Rodney Mayor John Law is a director, issued this press release yesterday:

The Pūhoi to Pakiri region—which stretches from Pūhoi in the south to Pakiri in the north, and includes Leigh, Matakana, Mahurangi and Warkworth—has experienced rapid development both as a tourism and lifestyle destination over recent years.

Research to inform a visitor strategy for the area is now complete and we’d like to share the outcomes of this research with you. Tourism in the area provides local people with employment and recreation opportunities and is vital to the Rodney economy, contributing $76m in 2009.

The research is being conducted by the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute based at AUT University, local tourism and business stakeholders and Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development. The project team is developing a sustainable five-year strategic tourism development plan for the Pūhoi to Pakiri region.

Business and tourism owners and operators, residents and community members are all invited to a public meeting on Monday 5 September at 5.30pm at the Mahurangi College Hall.

The meeting will present findings of survey research—these include a visitor survey; a survey to get the opinions of local community and residents; and a survey of tourism and business operators. Professor Simon Milne and members of the tourism research institute team will also present a visitor strategy for the Pūhoi to Pakiri region and be on hand to answer questions.

Following the presentation, there will be opportunity for informal discussion.

For those suffering Mahurangi Action Plan burnout, the Pūhoi–Pakiri visitor strategy will likely be breath of fresh air. Led by internationally experienced New Zealand researcher Professor Simon Milne, the tourism research institute team appears to have produced a surprisingly succinct, 11-point document, and one that emphasises community rather than merely the all-mighty dollar.

Professor Simon Milne has conducted tourism research in Aotearoa, the Caribbean, Canada, Kenya, Mexico, the South Pacific, the Philippines, Russia and Vietnam. His recent work with the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute has focused on better understanding the links between information technology, tourism and local economic development. He has more than 20 years of experience in conducting large-scale research projects, and a long-standing interest in building the links between culture, heritage and tourism to enable and strengthen economic outcomes for communities and regions.

In 1999, Professor Milne created the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute, at the Auckland University of Technology, and is now the associate head of school (research) of that university’s school of hospitality and tourism.

Although the official release of the visitor research and strategy has missed the draft Rodney Local Board Plan submission period, elements of it have been included in at least one submission. Further, local board member Tracey Martin…

will be working with the [Pakiri–Pūhoi visitor strategy] steering committee from here on in, as the Rodney Local Board member.

And as regards skipping September’s Mahurangi Club in favour of the public meeting to present and discuss the visitor research and strategy…

…bound to make for great follow-up discussion on 3 October.

Now published Draft Pūhoi to Pakiri Region Visitor Strategy 2012–2017

Previously published The Summary of Findings, Pūhoi to Pakiri Area Visitor Strategy Research Programme: Visitor, Business and Community Surveys

For further details on the Pūhoi–Pakiri visitor strategy and 5 September’s public meeting, email Carolyn Deuchar at New Zealand Tourism Research Institute or phone + 64 9 921 9999 extension 8892.