Development of five New Zealand Cycle Trails
15 July 2010
After completing the preliminary market research work for the New Zealand Cycleway for the Ministry of Tourism in 2009, TRC has been busy assisting a number of District Councils with their applications for Cycleway funding. We worked on five Cycleway projects in the North Island of New Zealand that include: Pureora Forest, Ruapehu to Whanganui, the Lake Track Taupo, the Old Motu Coach Road out of Opotiki and the Tauranga Moana Coastal Cycleway (in association with Beca).
TRC undertook a feasibility and high level business case analysis of each of these trails. This analysis helped to shape the product from a market and business case perspective to ensure these tourism products are able to deliver economic benefits to communities and business opportunities to local operators if they go ahead.
On 2 July 2010, TRC was part of the official opening of Stage 1 of the Ruapehu-Whanganui Trails. The Honorable John Key, Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, along with Sir Archie Tairoa, Whanganui Maori Trust Coast and Sue Morris, Mayor of the Ruapehu District Council, officiated the ceremony.
NZ's Prime Minister, Hon. John Key opens Stage 1 of the Ruapehu-Whanganui Trails
Funding has now been confirmed for the Old Motu Coach Road and Lake Track Trails. A decision on the Ruapehu-Whanganui and Pureora Forest Trails are likely to be made by the end of October.
The market research report which is the basis for many of the Cycle trail business studies can be downloaded here: http://www.tourism.govt.nz/cycletrailresearch.
15 July 2010
TRC has been busy on several interesting tourism planning assignments for small island destinations. TRC along with Planning for People (www.planningforpeople.com.au) recently completed a visitor strategy for Flinders Island. This remote, seldom visited island is between Tasmania and the Australian mainland. With about 4,000 visitors a year, the local community (of less than 1000) was seeking advice on sustainable tourism development options.
Flinders Island, Australia
In the Indian Ocean in the Seychelles, TRC’s Dr Louise Twining-Ward and Tim Grubb are assisting the Seychelles tourism board in developing and implementing the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label.
These island planning projects continue on from several other island tourism projects TRC has assisted with over the last two years. These projects include Stewart Island, Kapiti Island, Great Barrier Island, and Rangitoto and Motutapu Islands.
Offshore, we have assisted with many Pacific Island tourism strategies including Pitcairn Island. In Vietnam, we contributed to the Con Dao Sustainable Tourism Plan. Con Dao is an isolated set of islands off the Mekong Delta that has a long history as a penal centre. It is now a remote nature tourism destination.
15 July 2010
TRC is regularly involved in Public Private Partnerships (PPP). Our involvement stems from strategic planning, feasibility studies, organisation reviews, project designs and economic impact assessments carried out by TRC across New Zealand, Australia, Asia and the Pacific.
TRC’s PPP experience covers access to and management of natural and cultural attractions.
Some recent examples include:
World Ecotourism Conference Malaysia and Tourism Futures Conference Australia
15 July 2010
Les Clark and Dave Bamford gave key presentations at the World Ecotourism Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in July.
Ross Corbett participated in the Tourism Futures Conference, Brisbane, Australia, along with other leaders from the New Zealand tourism sector.
TRC – Planning for People collaborate for great results
7 April 2010
Many of TRC’s projects in Australia are undertaken in association with Janet Mackay from Planning for People, New South Wales. This collaboration offers a strong combination of Australian, New Zealand and international expertise. For more details see: www.planningforpeople.com.au.
Visitor strategy for Naracoorte Caves World Heritage Area
7 April 2010
TRC’s Ross Corbett and Janet Mackay from Planning for People are working on a visitor strategy for the Naracoorte Caves National Park and world heritage area. Naracoorte is a globally significant site for mega-fauna fossils from the quaternary period and receives about 42,000 visitors each year. Naracoorte is the only world heritage area in South Australia and one of just 16 world heritage areas in Australia.
Tourism Workforce Development for Samoa
7 April 2010
Alise Faulalo-Stunnenberg and Ross Corbett are working on a Tourism Workforce Development Plan for Samoa that aims to raise skills and service standards. The plan is funded by the Commonwealth Secretariat, London and coordinated through the Samoa Tourism Authority. Key partners include the Samoa Hotel Association, Small Business Enterprise Centre and Chamber of Commerce. The plan covers formal tertiary education and workplace training with tourism qualifications provided through the Samoa Institute of Technology and Australia Pacific Technical College. Both NZAID and AusAID provide ongoing funding assistance for industry training and education in Samoa.
Trekking in Sapa, Northern Vietnam
7 April 2010
TRC’s Achim Munz is working with SNV to improve the quality of trekking in Sapa, Vietnam. This popular trekking destination has become almost too popular and urgently requires better management to prevent overcrowding, hawkers and irrelevant information threatening the visitor experience. TRC is working closely with the local industry and authorities to resolve these issues.
TRC Internship
10 March 2010
TRC's 2009 Sustainable Tourism Intern, Nicole Wadsworth, has just completed her three-month internship with Tourism Resource Consultants. Nicole is the second intern to join the team in the Wellington office and, following her successful internship, her contract has recently been extended to enable her to continue her work with us in research and project support.
We now look forward to recruiting the next recipient of the TRC Internship and will be circulating details to NZ Universities in the second semester. The internship is for students who have experience in, or are studying and showing commitment towards, sustainable tourism. They will spend three months with TRC, either during semester or summer breaks or on a part-time basis during the term.
TRC is enjoying this opportunity to make a contribution to the future of the tourism industry by sharing our skills and experience, and the exchange of ideas and knowledge with the next generation.
Details of the programme will shortly be sent to universities for circulation, with an application deadline of 31 May. More information is available from trcnz@trcnz.com.
TRC in Malaysia
25 November 2009
The State of Perak’s Development Institute (Institut Darul Ridzuan) has engaged TRC to prepare the Perak Tourism Action Strategic Plan. Les Clark is leading the work alongside a Malaysian team coordinated by Professor Amran Hamzah. Dave Bamford is also assisting with this project. The work is to be completed by late 2009 and will set out a comprehensive development action plan that addresses product development, marketing, infrastructure and institutional priorities.
Les Clark is also engaged elsewhere in Malaysia as a tourism advisor with KW Associate Planners. Les is assisting with the preparation of an integrated Development Plan for the Mainland Coastal Tourism Development of Setiu Wetlands State Park in Terengganu. Les also attended the New Zealand – Malaysia Free Trade Agreement signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur. The agreement was formally signed on October 26th 2009 by New Zealand and Malaysia’s Trade Ministers and witnessed by both Prime Ministers
http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/Trade-Agreements/Malaysia/index.php
The following day TRC signed a memorandum of understanding with the well-established Malaysian Consultancy Company Innovation Associates (http://www.theiagroup.com/).
TRC and Innovation Associates representatives - Les Clark and Dr Hamzah Kassim (CEO) - both expressed their companies’ collective enthusiasm in continuing to work collaboratively.
Great Himalaya Trail
25 November 2009
Lisa Choegyal and Ross Corbett are about to start work on formulating the design for the Great Himalaya Trail project, Nepal, funded by DFID.
The Great Himalaya Trail is a development concept that spans the entire length of the country – from Humla in the West to Kanchenjunga in the East – providing a significant boost to the tourism industry and its associated support sectors, spreading tourism benefits and investment to under-developed districts, and stimulating a wide range of production, income and employment opportunities for impoverished local communities.
The Great Himalaya Trail Development Programme will contribute substantially to economic development in 16 of Nepal’s most remote mountain districts benefiting an estimated 1.28 million people.
New Zealand Cycleway project
28 September 2009
TRC has been working with the Ministry of Tourism on the New Zealand Cycleway project over the last few months. TRC conducted market research for the cycleway to understand who the potential market might be and what are they looking for in terms of a product and experience.
There is tremendous potential to develop and grow the cycle tourism market in New Zealand, which could be a major tourism asset stimulating local economic activity and creating regional businesses opportunities. However, it is vital that we get the cycle tourism product right and invest strongly in marketing the whole cycling experience appropriately
The New Zealand Cycleway Market Research Report is available on the Ministry of Tourism's website.
Tourism training in Tonga
28 September 2009
NZAID contracted Ross Corbett to review tourism training needs in Tonga and make recommendations for improvement. Tourism is a key sector for economic development in the Kingdom and its success depends on having a skilled workforce. This means putting in place training and education programmes to assist employees and future business owners to gain the skills needed to grow the industry.
The review received very positive support from the Tongan government and industry members. A combination of workplace and formal education qualifications is being discussed, with a view to strengthening existing courses so they will be recognised by New Zealand and Australian qualifications frameworks.
e-Marketing for the Pacific
28 September 2009
The Internet is transforming the South Pacific tourism industry and how tourism organisations communicate with potential visitors. For the South Pacific to successfully compete with destinations around the world, it needs to become a leader in adopting and using online marketing tools and social media such as Facebook, Twitter and TripAdvisor.
South Pacific Travel – the region’s marketing organisation – engaged TRC and US-based Miles Media to assess the current level of knowledge about and participation by Pacific Island National Tourism Organisations and private
members in e-marketing, with a specific focus on social networking media, and to develop a set of resources to help organisations use these tools to communicate with potential visitors.
Visitor strategy for parks in South Australia
28 September 2009
TRC and New South Wales-based Planning for People have been working on a visitor strategy for parks and other protected areas in South Australia. Managed by the Department for Environment and Heritage, the parks represent a fantastic array of coastal, outback, wilderness, island and urban experiences including Kangaroo Island, Flinders Ranges National Park, Narracorte Caves World Heritage Area and the Nullabor Desert.
The strategy – People and Parks – is about making the parks relevant to residents and visitors to South Australia and calls for new opportunities such as mountain biking, coastal accommodation, adventure events, marine mammal watching and easy overnight trekking trails. The private sector is expected to play a greater role in providing these opportunities, which will bring both economic and conservation benefits.
Pacific Environment Fund
28 September 2009
Leanne Harrison recently returned from attending the Steering Committee meeting of the Pacific Environment Fund (PEF) in Apia and the Mekong and Asia Pacific Community-Based Adaptation Programme (MAP-CBA) Inception Workshop. The meeting welcomed the inclusion of AusAID as a new donor partner, while the workshop focused on the challenges posed by climate change in the Pacific Islands and how communities can adapt to meet these challenges. Participants discussed the Pacific islands’ vulnerability to intensive climate change and recognised that they are strong innovators of adaptive practices. Workshop participants developed project management and other community-friendly tools for all stages of the project cycle.
We are pleased to announce that Leanne's work on behalf of NZAID coordinating the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme and NZAID Pacific Environment Fund partnership has been extended for a further year.
Visitor strategies for parks and conservation areas.
17 July 2009
Visitor strategies for parks and conservation areas. TRC has used its expertise in knowing how to manage visitors to national parks and conservation areas to help New Zealand's Department of Conservation (DOC) provide practical options for managing recreation and tourism in three important conservation areas. These areas are the Motutapu and Rangitoto Islands in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf, Kapiti Island nature reserve and Rimutaka Forest Park near Wellington.
DOC now has a clear set of options for managing Motutapu and Rangitoto Islands including exciting new possibilities for recreation and tourism and a huge pest eradication project. Together these initiatives will make Rangitoto and Motutapu Islands one of the jewels of the Hauraki Gulf and one of the most accessible nature and wildlife sanctuaries in New Zealand.
Kapiti Island is a major conservation success story just up the road from New Zealand's capital city, Wellington. TRC has worked closely with the DOC, iwi partners and tour operators to enable more people to experience Kapiti without damaging the island's unique <{invalid_tag_id}>ecology and birdlife.
Inland from Wellington, the Rimutaka Forest Park is a highly valued family weekend getaway - often the first experience of native forest and outdoor adventure for many. TRC has helped DOC put a strategy in place for recreation activities (mountain biking, walking, tramping, camping and picnicking) that will better meet the needs of future visitors.
17 July 2009
TRC recently teamed up with Kuala Lumpur-based Innovation Associates to prepare a tourism cluster development strategy for Iskandar Malaysia on behalf of the Iskandar Malaysia Development Authority. Iskandar Malaysia is that part of the state of Johor that borders Singapore and one of five economic development corridors in Malaysia.
The objective was to come up with an actionable and sustainable strategy to develop the tourism sector in order to reap the socio-economic and environmental benefits the sector has to offer. The implementation arrangements were pivotal to the strategy. Key outputs include establishing a public and private sector partnership - the Iskandar Malaysia Tourism Steering Committee - and four pilot programmes for immediate implementation.
17 July 2009
On behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, TRC has assessed existing research on the economic value of international visitors to New Zealand and developed a package of measurable indicators of visitor value, including visitor expenditure, purpose of visit, length of stay, participation in commercial activities and visitor satisfaction.
Knowing how visitors contribute to the New Zealand economy helps government and industry better understand New Zealand’s key markets and assists marketing decisions, product development and policy decision-making so New Zealand can grow tourism in the most sustainable way.
TRC’s Excel-based model packages the indicators so they can be easily manipulated by users and will give a rich picture of the value contribution of visitor markets and visitor types over time.
29 May 2009
Tuesday night saw the official opening of our Viet Nam Office in Ha Noi. More than 90 clients, friends and staff joined us to celebrate this exciting occasion.
The office was formally opened by New Zealand’s Ambassador to Viet Nam, Dr. James Kember; the Vice Chairman of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Viet Nam, Nguyen Manh Cuong; and TRC’s Managing Director, Ross Corbett.
Dave Bamford, who is country director for TRC Viet Nam, commented from Ha Noi “Viet Nam has considerable opportunities for the NZ consultancy sector. The tourism sector in Viet Nam, like much of SE Asia is expanding rapidly and has a strong interest in sustainable tourism practices. TRC plans to service this demand.” For more on the opening, including photos, click here.
29 May 2009
TRC has been contracted to carry out both Wellington and Marlborough's Sustainable Tourism Advisers in Regions (STAR) programme, on behalf of Positively Wellington Tourism and Destination Marlborough. STAR is intended to help operators who recognise the value of improving their sustainable business performance, but need help to identify and implement appropriate actions. To find out more about STAR in Wellington and Marlborough, click here (PDF 504KB) 
