Sustaining Wilderness in New Zealand in the Third Millennium: Wilderness policy developments and the increasing pressures of international tourist demand for wilderness in New Zealand.

Higham, J.E.S.

Lincoln University, High Latitudes Symposium

1998

University of Otago

Prof Higham, Profile and contact details at Otago University.

The field of wilderness management is one that demonstrates great relevance to the study of tourism. Wilderness environments are under threat by the demands of tourists. In many cases such as in New Zealand, the sub-Antarctic Islands and Antarctica much of the growth in demand to experience wilderness areas has been received from international visitors. The management of wilderness for tourism necessitates an accurate appreciation of qualities of experience that visitors seek. Recent research in this field confirms that a wide range of visitor expectations and desired experiences are held by wilderness users. This is particularly true of international tourists who bring a wide range of personal, social, cultural and experiential frames of reference to the wilderness setting. These visitors express their wilderness preferences in their desire for varying degrees of physical challenge, mental challenge, social contact, facility development and personal risk.

This paper examines issues of wilderness management in New Zealand. It first sets the context of wilderness policy developments to date. It then reports on a programme of research that examines the qualities of wilderness sought by international visitors to mainland New Zealand. This paper segregates international visitors into four purism classes based on their personal concepts of wilderness. The qualities of wilderness sought by each are then examined and compared. This analysis confirms that a wide range of experiences are sought by international visitors who may be segregated on the grounds of their wilderness perceptions. The urgent need for a management policy incorporating an appreciation of visitor perceptions of wilderness is concluded.

Keywords:

Tourism, Natural resources, Impact, Wilderness

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Exploratory

National

Outdoor Recreation

Tourists

Outdoors

National Parks

Impacts - environmental, Impacts- social, Management, Participation, Tourism

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July 12, 2012