Regional Experience

A comprehensive list of TRC projects is available in the projects pages. This page presents is a summary of TRC’s experience in the subregions of Asia, the Pacific and New Zealand.

SOUTH ASIA

In 2005, TRC provided tourism expertise within a UNDP/UNOPS assisted team preparing a National Park Management Plan for Sagarmatha (Mr Everest) National Park. In 2004, a TRC team prepared the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Tourism Development Plan, involving India, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. TRC is also assisting interpretation of the human resource developemtn component of the project. In 2003, TRC undertook the mid-term review of the UNDP / DFID / SNV Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme in Nepal. In 2002, TRC’s undertook the tourism resource assessment component of a NORAD water resources planning study in Bhutan and led the ecotourism planning component of an ADB Conservation and Livelihoods Improvement Project in the Indian Sundarbans. In 2001, TRC personnel led the design of ADB’s Nepal Ecotourism Project, a US$30m loan project aimed at reducing poverty through wider distribution of tourism. Also in 2001, TRC was commissioned by WWF to help the Royal Government of Bhutan develop a National Ecotourism Strategy. During the 1990s, TRC led implementation of UNDP’s Partnership for Quality Tourism Project in Nepal, designed the ecotourism component of an ADB Biodiversity Conservation Project in Sri Lanka and facilitated a WWF strategic planning exercise for the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee in Nepal.

SOUTH EAST ASIA

From 1992 to 2005, TRC in various ways assisted ADB’s tourism sector development programmes aimed at fostering co-operation between the six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion. From 1999 to 2005, TRC’s NZAID Rinjani Trek Ecotourism Programme in Lombok, Indonesia, has been helping to bring together the Park managers, local communities and the wider tourism industry to form an integrated management structure for the popular Rinjani Trek. From 1999 to 2005, TRC has also been helping NZAID in the Philippines, working with concerned government agencies to prepare and implement a Philippines National Ecotourism Strategy. In the 1990s, TRC undertook a tourism sector study of East Indonesia and Southern Philippines for IFC, lead a pilot study of ecotourism potential in a selection of Vietnam’s national parks for ADAF, assisted the ecotourism component of UNDP’s Protected Areas Resource Conservation (PARC) Project in Vietnam’s Ba Be and Na Hang National Parks, prepared the currently-active tourism masterplans for the Malaysian State Governments of Sarawak and Sabah, managed a Raid Gauloises event in Sarawak and designed the ecotourism component of ADB’s Mangrove Rehabilitation Project in Sulawesi, Indonesia and designed UNESCO’s Nam Ha Ecotourism Project in Lao PDR.

NORTH EAST ASIA

In 2002, a TRC team completed a two-year ADAF project in the Altai Tavan Bogd (Five Sacred Mountains) National Park in the far west of Mongolia. During the late 1990s, TRC supplied a tourism sector consultant for UNDP’s Tumen River Area Development Programme, involving northeast China, North Korea, South Korea, Russia and Mongolia. Also in the 1990s, TRC assisted NZAID’s ecotourism programme at Lake Khanas in the Xinjiang Province of China, led a WWF study of nature tourism potential in Xishuangbanna Reserves in Yunnan and led an international team within a CICETE / UNDP project to prepare an Ecotourism Masterplan for Qomolangma Nature Preserve in the Autonomous Region of Tibet.

PACIFIC

In 2005, TRC undertook a Pitcairn Island Tourism Development Study for the British Government and worked for the SPTO to develop a quality framework for accomodation standards in the Pacifc. In 2003 and 2004, TRC assisted IFC’s Pacific Enterprise Facility providing business advice to tourism operators in Fiji. From 1994 to 2004, TRC managed a major programme of NZAID contributions to the Samoan tourism industry. From 1998 to 2004, TRC led a similar programme focused on assistance to the tourism industry in Tonga. TRC recently completed the Tourism Development Plan 2002-2006 for the Government of Samoa. In Fiji, the Bouma and Koroyanitu National Heritage Parks have received NZAID’s assistance since the late 1980s, assisted by TRC, resulting in community-owned tourism products such as the Mt Batilamu Trek, Vidawa Rainforest Hike and the Lavena Coastal Walk. In 1999, TRC assisted the South Pacific Regional Study of Biodiversity Enabling Activities for the World Bank. In 1998, Parks Australia asked TRC to facilitate a Visitor Management Strategy for Uluru - Kata Tjuta (Ayers Rock) National Park, aimed at bringing together the interests of Aboriginal owners, resource managers, Federal and Northern Territory authorities and Australia’s tourism industry. Also during the 1990s, TRC participated in SPREP and UNDP’s ecotourism development programmes in Vanuatu and Tuvalu and led NZODA tourism advisory missions to Niue, Vava’u in Tonga and Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia.

NEW ZEALAND

TRC has been actively consulting in New Zealand since 1986. In recent times, the main focus has been on planning and feasibility studies for new tourism ventures or projects associated with outdoor recreation and conservation. Some of this work is for central and local government agencies. At other times TRC works for private companies, state-owned-enterprises, NGOs and community committees. Some recent New Zealand case studies include:

• Southland Tourism Strategy

• Product Development Options for Maori Tourism in Nelson and Marlborough - for Ngati Rarva Atiawa Iwi Trust.

• Environmental Management Plan for Te Puia - for the NZ Maori Arts and Crafts Council.

• Visitor Monitoring Framework for the Wellington Regional Parks – for the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

• Strategic Advice for Whanganui River Tourism – Whanganui River Tourism Cluster Group.

• Wakatipu Trails Strategy – Queenstown

• Heritage Strategy for the West Coast – West Coast Heritage Steering Committee / Te Papa / CEG.

• Strategy for Local Government Involvement with Tourism – Local Government New Zealand.

• Tourism industry review for Kapiti Coast, Horowhenua and Lake Taupo Districts

• Post Cards from Home - A Strategy for Local Government Involvement in Tourism

• West Coast Heritage Strategy

• Commercial recreation opportunities for Wellington Regional Parks

• Aircraft effects at Milford Sound

• Economic feasibility of an artificial surf reef in Taranaki

• Mountains to the Sea and Big Coast adventure events

• Strategic advice to the New Zealand Eco-Challenge event

• Taupo Tourism Study

• Tairawhiti National Heritage Project, Economic and Tourism Impact Assessment

• Business plan advice and marketing plans for a range of selected tourism operators

• Review of Destination Manawatu and Destination Lake Taupo

• Expert witness, giving evidence for Project West Wind, wind farm development in Wellington

• Assessment of tourism and recreation effects from Transpower's proposal to upgrade the transmission lines between Auckland and Taupo

• Identification of tourism investment opportunities for tangata whenua in South Westland, Nelson/Marlborough and Turangi

• Design of a social indicators monitoring system for the Department of Conservation