The Bus and Coach Association is welcoming a move towards more sustainable tourism but says not enough it being done to support the coach sector which supports it.
It follows the recently released Tourism Futures Taskforce report which sets out a long-term vision and direction for the sector.
The Taskforce was established in May 2020 as an independent public-private partnership co-chaired by Grant Webster and Steve Chadwick.
The central theme of the report was the need to prioritise sustainable tourism that enhances community wellbeing.
Tourism minister Stuart Nash says the sector is “about to undergo a transformation” as preparation is underway for borders to re-open and international visitors to return.
“I remain committed to my four key principles for transforming the tourism sector: Brand New Zealand must be protected; we cannot return to business as usual; the full cost of tourism must be priced into the visitor experience; and the Government intends to work in partnership with the sector to achieve change,” Nash says.
Bus and Coach Association acting chief executive Alex Voutratzis says he supports the minister’s ideas for more sustainable tourism but more work is needed.
“Let’s move beyond picking pre-determined winners and support the wider tourism eco-system.
“It’s not the fault of tourism businesses they’ve found themselves in a precarious financial position due to COVID-19. As the Government have rightly supported employees, we need to see more financial support for businesses,” Voutratzis says.
“We are a sector that is often taken for granted and underappreciated for the services we provide. With 1.5 million tourists using a coach in the year prior to COVID-19, our sector is essential for tourism to rebound.
“Our members seem to have fallen between the cracks with the Government’s Business Support Package, they are now selling their coaches and in some cases the roof over their heads to keep their businesses afloat.
“After 12 months of no international tourism, the Government has not recognised our sector. Without financial support for our members the Government will unnecessarily drag out the tourism recovery, at the expense of livelihoods, business certainty, and economic growth,” he says.
“Coaches bring the added advantage of being a bubble for COVID-19 contact tracing. Coaches also keep an in-depth record of all passengers along with the detailed itinerary of each trip. Our members can appropriately control who tourists meet and where they visit too.
“Let’s not forget the environmental benefits of tourists travelling by coach fit nicely with the minister’s agenda. Coaches are the most sustainable and environmentally friendly means for tourists to travel New Zealand. They have a significantly lower carbon emission in comparison to airplanes, with the added benefit of reducing congestion on the roads.
“Would you rather have a coach carrying 40 couples traveling together as a group or 20 additional cars on the road driving to the same tourist hotspot? Now imagine the 1.5 million tourists that coaches normally carry all driving across the country and adding to the congestion and emissions at our hotspots and urban areas.
“If the Government is serious about sustainable tourism, they need a strong coach industry to support them,” Voutratzis says.
