Visitor and Community Survey Report (High Season)

Aotea / Great Barrier Island Visitor Strategy:

The New Zealand Tourism Research Institute, April 2018 AUT, Auckland, New Zealand

Contents

Introduction ...... 1 Visitor Survey findings ...... 3 General Visitor characteristics ...... 3 Information sources and decision-making ...... 9 Dark Sky Sanctuary ...... 14 Where do visitors go and how long do they stay? ...... 14 Recreational activities for all visitors ...... 23 Visitor expenditure ...... 27 Perceptions of GBI – visitor experience ...... 30 Return visits and referrals ...... 39 Community Survey findings ...... 40 Community attitudes towards the Visitor Industry...... 43 The impact of visitors to the Island ...... 45 Conclusions: ...... 58

Introduction

In September 2017, the Great Barrier Local Board (with support from ATEED) commissioned NZTRI to develop a Visitor Strategy for Aotea / Great Barrier Island (GBI) (Figure 1). This report presents key findings from the high season (HS) Visitor survey and a high season Community/Business survey. The report is designed to provide the evidence base for the Aotea / Great Barrier Island Visitor Strategy (http://www.nztri.org.nz/great-barrier-island). The Strategy focuses on interpreting and translating the insights provided into outcomes that can guide the industry and enhance sustainable development outcomes for all stakeholders.

Figure 1: Aotea / Great Barrier Island

Source: Auckland Council, Great Barrier Island Local Board map

The information presented here follows an earlier low season (LS) visitor/community report (http://www.nztri.org.nz/great-barrier-island). Where relevant, high and low season results are shown for comparative purposes. Data collection for the online high season Visitor Survey ran from 12 December 2017 to 9 April 2018 and generated 209 responses. The previous low season reported on the findings from 120 responses. The Visitor Survey provides insights into visitor characteristics including: demographics, information sources used prior to the trip, decision‐making factors, travel patterns, length of stay, participation in local activities, satisfaction levels and expenditure. The Survey also gauges visitor perceptions of GBI, and the likelihood of return visits and referrals. The survey also featured a variant specifically designed to capture information from visitors who travel to GBI on private boats. Given the difficulty of yacht based surveys and the need to focus on overnight land-based visitation we place an emphasis on air and ferry visitors. The high season Community Survey ran from 13 March to 9 April 2018 and generated 227 responses (the low season survey generated 174). The Visitor Strategy Group worked with their local networks to build awareness of the surveys. NZTRI promoted the survey research at various locations and visitor touchpoints on GBI targeting both local business, and residents. The Great Barrier Local Board also promoted both surveys through their networks, existing databases, and social media. Transport providers to GBI assisted with the promotion of the Visitor Survey. The high season Community Survey covers permanent residents, non-permanent residents, local business operators, and those not living on the Island but considering themselves part of the local community. The findings from this work provide insights into general attitudes to and awareness of tourism/visitors, holiday home ownership, impacts of the recent high season, and identify potential opportunities/issues related to the visitor industry on the Island. Where relevant low season results are shown for comparative purposes.

Visitor Survey findings

Visitors are defined as non-residents who arrive by air/ferry/private vessel and stay for less than 99 days on GBI. General Visitor characteristics The overall profile of the high season visitor is slightly older than their low season counterparts. A quarter of the HS visitors surveyed are in the 55-64 age group, with a further 23% aged 65 years or over (Figure 2). A third are under 45 years of age, which matches the low season data. Just over half (54%) of HS visitors surveyed are female, 45% male and 1% gender diverse.

Figure 2: Breakdown of visitors by age group (n low season=98, n high season=192)

31 30

25 25

20 19 18 18

ercent 15 P 15 12 12 12 11 10 9 6 5 4 4 2 1 0 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-80 80+

High Season Low Season

Visitors were asked to give the ‘main purpose of visit’ for their most recent trip to GBI (Figure 3). High season visitors emphasise holiday (49%) and outdoor activity (36%) focused reasons. While these factors also dominate for low season visitors they are more likely to be coming for business and other non-leisure activities.

Figure 3: Main purpose of visit (n low season=111, n high season=208)

49 For a holiday 42

36 For outdoor activities e.g. hiking,fishing 26

5 To visit friends or relatives 6

3 Other reason 7

3 For business or for professional services 8

2 To attend an event 9

1 To observe the wildlife e.g. bird watching, marine life 0

0 For an arts, cultural, or heritage activity 2

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Percent

High Season Low Season

Half of HS visitors travelled with their partner/spouse to GBI (Figure 4). High season visitors are more likely to travel with a partner, and less likely to travel alone than low season visitors.

Figure 4: Travelling companions (n low season=120, n high season=208)

Partner/spouse 50 45 34 Friends 34

23 Other family members 24

8 I travelled on my own 18

9 Children (under 14 years of age) 8

8 Other 5

1 Work colleagues 4

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Percent

High Season Low Season

Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100%

Just under half (49%) of high season visitors in the survey sample travelled to/from GBI by scheduled flight, a further 15% by private boat (Figure 5). HS visitors are more likely to use the passenger/car ferry services than LS visitors. Figure 5: Mode of transport used to and from GBI (n low season=120, n high season=209)

49 Scheduled flight 51 15 Private boat 18 14 Ferry service (passenger only) 9 13 Ferry service (vehicle + passenger) 9 3 Combination (ferry/flight) 9 3 Combination other 0 1 Other 0 1 Private flight 4

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Percent

High Season Low Season

When asked about the main mode of transport used while on GBI, 60% of the high season visitors noted they travelled by rental car (31%) or private car (29%). Visitors also walked around the Island (18%), or went by private boat (7%). Tour buses (8%) and local shuttle buses (3%) were also used to travel around the Island (Figure 6). The high season saw a lower percentage of people using private cars.

Figure 6: The main mode of transport used when visiting GBI (n low season=120, n high season=208)

45 40 40

35 31 29 30 28

Percent 20 15 15

8 8 10 7 3 5 3 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 0 Rental Car Private Car Walked Tour bus Private Shuttle bus Other Bicycle Motorcycle boat

High Season Low Season

The high season visitor is far more likely to be a first time visitor (76%) than their low season counterparts (50%). Just over one in five HS visitors had been to the Island 2 to 5 times during the last 12 months compared to 37% of LS visitors (Figure 7).

Figure 7: Frequency of visits to GBI in the past 12 months (including most recent visit) (n low season=114, n high season=195)

90 80 76 70 60 50 50 40 Percent 30

20 12 11 10 9 10 5 6 4 6 3 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10+ Number of visits in 12 months

High Season Low Season

Nearly all (99%) land-based visitors during the HS stay for at least one night on GBI, with over half (52%) staying between 1 to 4 nights (Figure 8). More HS than LS visitors stay for 5 nights or more (46% vs 35%) although the latter are more likely to stay for more than twenty nights. The mean number of nights for HS visitors is 6.7 and the median is four. Low season visitors do tend to stay longer on GBI with a mean number of nights of 8.2, the median length of stay remains at 4 nights.

Figure 8: Length of stay on GBI (n low season=99, n high season=208)

70 61 60 52 50

40 34

Percent 30 23 20

9 10 6 6 4 3 1 0 Day trip 1 - 4 nights 5 - 10 nights 11 - 20 nights 20+ nights

High Season Low Season

During their visit to GBI, nearly 30% of HS visitors stayed in commercial accommodation including lodges, backpacker hostels, bed and breakfasts, and motels (Figure 9). HS visitors are less likely to stay in their own accommodation (13%) than those coming in the LS (29%). Camping (17%) and the use of Department of Conservation huts (15%) are more common options in the high season.

Figure 9: What type of accommodation did you use during your visit? (n low Season=116, n high season=208)

20 Rented accommodation 18 17 Lodge 10 17 Camping 7 15 Dept. of Conservation Hut 9 13 Own accommodation 29 13 Private boat 16 10 Friend or relatives accommodation 10 3 Backpacker hostel 5 3 Motel 4 3 Other 3 3 Bed and breakfast 2 3 Resort/Luxury lodge 1 1 Farm/Homestay/Woofer 0 1 Retreat 1 0 Marae 2

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Percent

High Season Low Season

Note: response therefore total does not add to 100%

Over 40% of the high season visitors surveyed have an annual household income of $100,001 or more with 20% indicating an amount of less than $50,000 (Figure 10). LS visitors tend to have a slightly higher income profile - with 22% in the $200,000+ bracket. NB New Zealand’s average annual household income for year ending June 2017 is $98,621 (Statistics New Zealand, 2017).

Figure 10: Total household income (NZ$) (n low season=76, n high season=147)

15 $200,001 + 22

12 $150,001 - $200,000 7

18 $100,001- $150,000 20

18 $75,001 - $100,000 13

18 $50,001 - $75,000 20

13 $25,001 – $50,000 12

5 $10,001 - $25,000 3

1 Under $10,000 3

0 5 10 15 20 25 Percent

High Season Low Season

Both high and low season visitor groups feature similar tertiary and secondary education profiles, (Figure 11).In both cases nearly three quarters have completed tertiary education with only a small fraction of visitors having no formal educational qualification.

Figure 11: Highest qualification achieved (n low season=92, n high season=182)

80 75 71 70

40 Percent 30 20 21 20

10 7 3 1 2 0 Tertiary/University Secondary school Other No formal qualification qualification qualification

High Season Low Season

Nearly 60% of the high season visitors to GBI are from other parts of Auckland; 28% are from elsewhere in New Zealand, and 14% are from overseas. Of the HS visitors from other regions in New Zealand, nearly one quarter (24%) live in the Waikato, with a further 47% from the Bay of Plenty, Wellington and Canterbury (Figure 12). HS visitors are drawn from a more diverse range of locations than those arriving in the low season.

Figure 12: Region in New Zealand where visitors (outside of Auckland) are from (n low season=16, n high season=155)

24 Waikato 25 17 Bay of Plenty 13 17 Wellington 6 13 Canterbury 6 7 Taranaki 6 6 Northland 13 4 Otago 0 4 Gisborne 0 4 Hawkes Bay 13 2 Other 0 2 Southland 0 2 West Coast 0 0 Manawatu-Wanganui 13 0 Nelson Marlborough 6

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Percent

High Season Low Season

Fourteen percent of HS visitors are from overseas compared to 9% for the low season. The HS overseas visitors captured by the survey come from Australia, England, Canada, Germany, Europe and the United States. Information sources and decision-making High season visitors were asked if they looked for information about GBI prior to their most recent visit, with two–thirds saying yes. Of these visitors 81% searched for maps and directions (Figure 13). More HS visitors sought information on things to do (68%) on GBI, and about local cycling or walking routes (51%) than LS visitors. Over half (54%) also searched for information on accommodation.

HS visitors are less likely to seek information about GBI’s culture and heritage (14%), or retail and shopping opportunities (8%) prior to arrival than their LS counterparts.

Figure 13: Types of information sought about the GBI prior to visiting (n low season=55, n high season=136)

81 Maps and directions 80

68 Activities/things to do 56

54 Accommodation options 55

53 Transport options to get to/from the Island 53

51 Cycling or walking routes 46

44 Parks, forests, outdoor areas 51

39 Local transport options when on the Island 42

38 Restaurants, cafes, pubs 44

14 Culture and heritage 22

8 Retail and shopping 15

8 Other 0

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Percent

High Season Low Season

Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100%

For both HS and LS visitors internet search engines (e.g. Google) and general travel aggregator sites (e.g. TripAdvisor) dominate as sources of information (Figure 14). High season visitors also searched for information using two of the local destination websites (thegreatbarrier.co.nz, greatbarrierislandtourism.co.nz). Over 20% of HS visitors relied on personal recommendations from family, friends and fellow travellers. A further 16% asked advice from GBI locals. Only 7% of these visitors sought information via social media. Nearly all (96%) HS visitors who looked for information prior to arrival on GBI, reported they found what they needed. This is virtually identical to the low season response.

Figure 14: Sources of information (n low season=55, n high season=135)

84 Search engine 87

43 http://www.thegreatbarrier.co.nz 33

32 http://www.greatbarrierislandtourism.co.nz 29

22 Advice from family, friends, or other travellers 36

16 Asked the locals (residents, business owners) 22

15 Other 4

12 Travel guide books 7

7 Social media 11

2 Destination website e.g. Aucklandnz.com 6

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Percent

High Season Low Season

Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100%

Over half (56%) of visitors stated that they looked for information during their stay on GBI. Of these visitors, over 77% searched for maps and directions, and 61% looked for information on activities, and things to do on GBI (Figure 15). Information on cycling or walking routes, and about the local hospitality scene was also commonly sought (48% respectively). Overall, few visitors to GBI, regardless of season, looked for information about local transport options, and retail or shopping opportunities.

Figure 15: Types of information sought while staying on GBI (n low season=57, n high season=113)

77 Maps and directions 67

61 Activities/things to do 61

48 Cycling or walking routes 49

48 Restaurants, cafes, pubs 44

35 Parks, forests, outdoor areas 30

28 Culture and heritage 26

15 Local transport options 14

12 Retail and shopping 9

5 Other 4

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Percent

High Season Low Season

Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100%

Nearly three quarters (72%) of high season visitors who looked for information while on GBI said it was relatively easy to find (Figure 16). Only 8% of HS visitors found it difficult to access the information they were looking for. Both of these figures are very similar to the low season data.

Figure 16: Ease of finding the information (n low season=59, n high season=113)

50 45 45 41 40 35

30 27 24 24 25 20 Percent 20 15

10 7 7 4 5 1 0 Extremely difficult 2 3 4 Extremely easy (5) (1)

High Season Low Season

When planning their most recent visit to GBI, high season visitors were asked in which order (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) they decided on the following: activities or things to do; accommodation; and transport (Figure 17). The order of importance for both high and low season visitors is generally similar: with activities or things to do ranked first, and transport options second. The availability of accommodation over the busy season is an important factor for HS visitors when planning a trip to GBI, with 43% ranking this as second in the decision making process compared to 31% of LS visitors.

Figure 17: Order of importance when planning a visit to GBI (n low season=103-106, n high season=183-201)

60 54 50 50 46 44 43 41 39 40 37

30 31 30 29 28 30 26

Percent 24 22 20 13 13

0 Low Season High Season Low Season High Season Low Season High Season Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3

Activities/things to do Transport Accommodation

Dark Sky Sanctuary

Nearly three quarters (74%) of high season visitors surveyed said they knew about the GBI international Dark Sky Sanctuary status. Seven percent of the HS visitors stated it was a very/extremely important factor in their decision to visit GBI (Figure 18) the figure was lower than for the LS (14%). Just under half (48%) of the HS visitors did not factor the Dark Sky Sanctuary into their decision making at all, which is similar to the low season findings.

Figure 18: Importance of the Dark Sky Sanctuary status in decision to visit GBI (n low season=90, n high season=153)

50 50 48

30 28

Percent 21 18 20 16

8 10 6 4 3 0 Not important at all Slightly important Moderately Very important Extremely important important

High Season Low Season

If just the HS visitors from Auckland are analysed, 5% state that the Dark Sky Sanctuary was a very/extremely important factor in their decision to visit; the figure for those from outside Auckland is 7%. Where do visitors go and how long do they stay? For this section of the report respondents are divided into the following categories:

Land-based visitors: (n=176) respondents who arrived by scheduled flights or ferry for a day trip or a longer stay on the Island.

Water-based visitors: (n=32) respondents who arrived by private vessel and stayed in one of the anchorages/ bays around the Island. Land-based visitors to GBI: Land-based visitors were asked where they passed the majority of their time when visiting GBI during the high season (Figure 19). Tryphena was the most popular destination at 42%, followed by Medlands (17%).

Figure 19: Primary destination of land-based visitors* (n high season=176)

*Other smaller locations (9%) not shown above

Tryphena is the most popular destination for both HS and LS visitors (Figure 20). Claris/Kaitoke (9%) and Port FitzRoy/Okiwi (5%) are clearly less popular with land-based visitors in the high season.

Figure 20: Primary destination of land-based visitors (n low season=98, n high season=176)

42 Tryphena 30

17 Medlands 19

9 Claris/Kaitoke 16

9 Other location 3

5 Port FitzRoy/Okiwi 15

5 Okupu 6

3 Awana Bay 0

3 Karaka Bay 5

3 Whangaparapara 2

3 Harataonga 2

1 Katherine Bay 1

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Percent

High Season Low Season

Over the high season, the three most frequented locations for land-based visitors were Tryphena (79%), Medlands (68%) and Claris/Kaitoke (67%) (Figure 21). Other popular spots included Port FitzRoy/Okiwi (49%) and Whangaparapara (41%).

Figure 21: Places where land-based visitors stopped and spent time during their most recent trip to GBI (n high season=176)

Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100%. Other smaller locations (22%) not shown above

Harataonga and Whangaparapara increase in popularity among visitors in the high season (Figure 22). Tryphena and Medlands remain the most popular destinations year round for both HS and LS visitors alike.

Figure 22: Places where land-based visitors stopped and spent time during their most recent trip to GBI (n low season=99, n high season=176)

79 Tryphena 70

68 Medlands 57

64 Claris/Kaitoke 67

49 Port FitzRoy/Okiwi 52

41 Whangaparapara 31

37 Harataonga 23

35 Awana Bay 35

31 Okupu 32

22 Other 14

11 Karaka Bay 11

6 Katherine Bay 6

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Percent

High Season Low Season

Water based visitors to GBI: Of the 32 respondents arriving by private boat during the high season, 58% came by sailing yacht and 42% by motor/launch. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of the boats had sailed directly from Auckland to GBI. Other departure points included Kawau, Waiheke, Whangarei and Coromandel.

Water-based visitors were asked where they spent the majority of their time when cruising around GBI during the high season with Port FitzRoy being the most popular location (Figure 23).

Figure 23: Primary destination of water-based visitors* (n high season=31)

*Other smaller locations (15%) not shown above

In contrast to the high season, Port FitzRoy was not the most popular location in the LS survey with water-based visitors preferring other anchorages such as Whangaparapara, Kiwiriki (Two Island Bay) and Smokehouse Bay (Figure 24). These figures must be treated with caution however because of the small size of the sample.

Figure 24: Primary destination of water-based visitors (n low season=20, n high season=31)

38 Port FitzRoy 10

16 Wairahi Bay (Ghost Bay) 5

15 Other 5

13 Kiwiriki (Two Island Bay) 15

9 Kaiaraara Bay 5

3 Whangaparapara 20

3 Smokehouse Bay 10

3 Tryphena Harbour (Shoal Bay) 5

0 Sandy Bay 5

0 Rangiwhakaea Bay 5

0 Pah Beach (Tryphena) 5

0 Katherine Bay 5

0 Bowling Alley Bay 5

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Percent

High Season Low Season

Water-based visitors were also asked where they spent time/overnight in the high season when cruising around GBI, with Port FitzRoy (72%) and Whangaparapara (63%) being the two most popular locations (Figure 25). Other popular high season locations included Smokehouse Bay (47%), Kaiaraara Bay (44%) and Kiwiriki (Two Island Bay) (41%).

Figure 25: Locations where water-based visitors spent time during their most recent trip to GBI (n high season=32)

Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100%. Other smaller locations (22%) not shown above

When comparing these findings to low season data, Port FitzRoy and Whangaparapara remain popular with water-based visitors over the high season (Figure 26). More boats are attracted to other locations such as Kaiaraara Bay, Kiwiriki (Two Island Bay) and Harataonga Bay in the summer.

Figure 26: Locations where water-based visitors spent time during their most recent trip to GBI (n low season=21, n high season=32)

72 Port FitzRoy 57 63 Whangaparapara 57 47 Smokehouse Bay 38 44 Kaiaraara Bay 14 41 Kiwiriki (Two Island Bay) 19 28 Nagle Cove 19 22 Other 0 22 Katherine Bay 19 22 Oneura Bay (Redcliffs Cove) 14 19 Tryphena Harbour (Shoal Bay) 24 19 Wairahi Bay (Ghost Bay) 14 16 Rakitu Island 10 16 Harataonga Bay 0 13 Bowling Alley Bay 24 9 Bradshaw Cove 14 9 Puriri Bay (Tryphena) 10 6 Rangiwhakaea Bay 5 3 Pah Beach (Tryphena) 5 0 Okupu (Blind Bay) 10 0 Rosalie Bay 5 0 Sandy Bay 5

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Percent

High Season Low Season

The majority (87%) of the water-based visitors surveyed stayed for at least one night on their boat during their trip to GBI in the high season, with 80% staying between 1 to 4 days (Figure 27). Some visitors stayed for extended periods, with 13% staying for five or more nights. During the high season, water-based visitors also made day trips (7%) to the different bays around GBI.

Figure 27: Length of stay at primary location (n low season=21, n high season n=30)

90 80 80 76

Percent 40

20 14 10 7 10 5 5 3 0 Day trip 1 - 4 nights 5 - 10 nights 10+ nights

High Season Low Season

Recreational activities for all visitors Visitors were asked about the types of activities they engaged in during their visit to GBI. Activities were split into four broad categories – outdoor, food and beverage, events, and other activities (Figure 28). Land-based outdoor activities like tramping/walking (87%) and observing wildlife (85%) were very popular with visitors over the high season. The majority of visitors also enjoyed taking part in water-based activities especially swimming and surfing (85%). A visit to Kaitoke Hot Springs (62%) was also a popular activity for HS visitors. The hospitality sector on GBI was well patronised by high season visitors with nearly 90% going to a restaurant/café/bar while on the Island. A number of visitors also went to local social/sports clubs (30%) during their stay. Just over 1 in 5 visitors (22%) said they had attended an art/cultural/heritage event with a further 11% going to a music event. Many of the visitors (52%) in the high season went to see the heritage attractions, museums and galleries on the Island. Arts and crafts (46%) activities also attracted a significant portion of visitors.

Figure 28: Degree of participation in activities (n range=4-177) Outdoor Activities Tramping & walking 87 Observe wildlife e.g. bird watching 85 Beach - swimming & surfing 85 Kaitoke Hot Springs 62 Boating, cruises, canoeing, kayaking 50 Fishing 40

Snorkelling, diving 26 Cycling, mountain biking 9 Stand Up Paddle Boarding 9 Golf 5

Food and beverage related activities Visit to restaurant/cafe/pub 89 Visit a local food producer 39 Visit to local social/sports club 30 Local Farmers Market 17

Events Art/cultural/heritage event 22 Music event 11

Food & wine event 7

Sporting event 6

School event 3

Corporate event 2

Other activities Heritage attractions, museums & galleries 52 Arts and Crafts 46

Local markets 18

Garden Tour 5

Wellness/yoga 5

0 20 40 60 80 100 Share of Visitors (%)

Visitors were asked how satisfied they were with the specific experiences they engaged in, using a scale from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied).

Outdoor activities – High season visitors are generally very satisfied with the outdoor activities in which they participated. Most activities are given a mean score of well over 4 out of 5 (Figure 29). Boating, swimming, fishing, diving and snorkelling, all ranked at 4.6 or over. HS visitors were also very satisfied with their tramping and walking experiences (4.6). Visitors over the high season were less satisfied with activities like cycling/mountain biking (3.5 out of 5) and playing golf on the Island (3.3).

Figure 29: Satisfaction with outdoor activities (n range low season=11-79, n range high season= 8- 170)

4.8 Boating, cruises, canoeing, kayaking 4.6 4.7 Beach - swimming & surfing 4.5 4.6 Tramping & walking 4.6 4.6 Fishing 4.5 4.6 Diving, snorkeling 4.4 4.4 Observe wildlife e.g. bird watching 4.3 4.3 Other 4.4 4.1 Kaitoke Hot Springs 4.4 4.0 Stand up paddle boarding 3.7 3.5 Cycling, mountain biking 3.4 3.3 Golf 4.4

0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0

High Season Low Season

Food and beverage related activities – High season visitors were generally more satisfied with the food and beverage related activities on the Island than their low season counterparts (Figure 30). A visit to a social/sports club (4.3), and to a local eatery/ bar (4.2) rating the highest. HS visitors were slightly more satisfied with the weekly local Farmers’ market at Stonewall Village rating it at 3.8 out of 5 than low season visitors (3.6).

Figure 30: Satisfaction with food and beverage related activities (n range low season=9-85, n range high season=29-177)

4.3 Restaurant/cafe/pub 3.8

4.2 Other 3.9

4.0 Visit a local food producer 4.0

4.0 Local Farmers’ market 4.0

1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 Mean

3.8 3.6

Events – During the high season, visitor satisfaction with school or sporting events is relatively high (4.5 respectively) (Figure 31). Visitor satisfaction levels are generally strong for all of the events visitors attended during the high season, with food and wine related events rated the lowest at 3.9 out of 5.

Figure 31: Satisfaction with events attended (n range low season=4-23, n range high season=4-40)

4.5 School event 4.4

4.5 Other 4.3

4.5 Sporting event 4.1

4.0 Music event 4.4

4.0 Corporate event 3.8

4.0 Art/cultural/heritage event 3.7

3.9 Food & wine event 4.1

1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 Mean

High Season Low Season

Other activities – There was a yoga retreat held in March on GBI with those visitors attending being very satisfied with their experience - rating it 4.6 out of 5 (Figure 32). Visitor satisfaction with all other activities during the high season rated well with a mean of 4 or more out of 5.

Figure 32: Satisfaction with other activities (n range low season=3-51, n range high season=8-95)

4.6 Wellness/yoga 3.8

4.3 Other 4.0

4.2 Arts and crafts 4.0

4.2 Heritage attractions, museums & galleries 3.9

4.1 Local markets 3.8

4 Garden Tour 4.6

1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 Mean

High Season Low Season

Visitor expenditure High season visitors were asked to provide information on what they paid prior to their arrival on GBI (prepaid spend) and what they spend while on the Island (on-island spend). Our total high season sample of 209 respondents covered 437 adults and 43 children. All spend numbers use the median length of stay figure of 4 nights for both HS and LS visitors. Prepaid Expenditure Most visitors spent money on some aspect of their travel arrangements before they arrived on GBI (81%). High season visitors were asked what was covered in this prepaid spend. The vast majority of HS visitors prepaid their travel to GBI either by flight or ferry or some combination. HS visitors are more likely to prepay for accommodation (66%) and rental cars (30%) than LS visitors (Figure 33).

Figure 33: Breakdown of Prepaid travel spend (n low season=77, n high season n=144)

66 Accommodation 42

30 Rental car 14

12 Other 8

11 Activities e.g. tours 15

9 Prepaid package e.g. flights, accommodation 9

6 Food 8

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Percent

High Season Low Season

Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100%

A small percentage of visitors (HS 9%) purchase prepaid holiday packages that feature a combination of items. All of these packages feature accommodation and incorporate travel to and from the Island – flight or ferry (Figure 34). Meals and activities are also included in 60% of prepaid packages purchased during the high season.

Figure 34: Prepaid holiday package breakdown (n low season=7, n high season n=15)

100 Accommodation 100

93 Flights 86

60 Meals including breakfast 43

60 Activities e.g. tours 29

27 Rental car 43

20 Other 14

7 Ferry ( passenger/car) 29

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Percentage

High Season Low Season

Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100%

Across all visitors sampled we estimate that total pre-paid spend per visit is $479.24 (LS $270.16) or $119.81 per day (LS $67.54) .We conservatively estimate that approximately 50% of the HS pre-paid figure directly reaches the Island economy. This equates to a return to the economy of $239.62 per visitor or $59.90 - per visitor per day. To estimate the percentage of pre-paid spend reaching GBI we first split the amount between transport and other pre-paid items such as accommodation (25/75). We estimate that 20% of transport costs spend reach the Island and 60% of other pre-paid costs (accommodation, food etc.). The high season pre-paid visitor figures are higher than low season pre-paid due to the different visitor characteristics of visitors and a lower estimated percentage of pre-paid spend flowing back to the economy (30%). We must stress that these figures (50% HS and 30% LS) are conservative and remain estimates only. Expenditure while on Great Barrier Island Most (94%) HS visitors spent money while on GBI. On-island spend per visitor is $258.50, or $64.63 per day. Visitor spend for both HS and LS visitors are broken down in Table 1. On-island spend by HS visitors is higher than LS visitors with accommodation being the biggest cost at $19.40 per person per day compared to $6.90 for LS visitors. High season visitors spend considerably more on local shopping. For both HS and LS visitors, events, activities and attractions make up a relatively small percentage of total spend.

Table 1: Average visitor expenditure on Great Barrier Island (per person per day) High Season Low Season Expenditure Items Per day % of Per day % of spend $ spend spend $ spend

Accommodation 19.4 30% 6.9 17% Food/beverage e.g. cafes, restaurants 18.9 29% 15.4 37% Transport 10.5 16% 7.5 18% Shopping e.g. groceries, clothing 10.2 16% 6.9 17% Fuel 2.2 3% 0.6 1% Other (please specify) 2.0 3% 0.7 2% Activities and attractions 1.0 2% 1.4 3% Events 0.5 1% 2.0 5% Total Expenditure $64.6 100% $41.5 100%

If we combine pre-paid ($239.62) and on-island ($258.50) spend we estimate that all visitors coming during the January to April 2018 period contribute approximately $498.12 per visit to the local economy or $124.53 per person per day. By comparison, during the October- December 2017 period visitors contributed approximately $247 per person to the local economy or $62 per person per day. These daily spend figures are an average across all visitors surveyed. This means they reflect spend by those on yachts as well. While the sample sizes are small it is worth looking briefly at the specific spend characteristics of those coming by yacht. The on-island spend per day per person for yacht based visitors was $26.70 (HS and LS combined). On the other hand, if we remove yacht visitors from the high season visitor spend analysis we see average daily spend on-island from land-based visitors (coming by ferry or plane) rising approximately 10% from $64.60 to $71.50. Because there are no accurate statistics on the break-down of visitors to Great Barrier (or for that matter total visitor numbers) we are unable to weight our spend figures to reflect actual arrivals to the Island. We believe that the yacht sector is underestimated in the survey and if weighted for this effect we would expect the overall average daily spend figures presented in Table 1 to diminish. Perceptions of GBI – visitor experience High season visitors were presented with a series of statements describing what their most recent trip to Great Barrier offered them. Respondents were asked to select those statements they agreed with (Figure 35). Nearly all of the high season visitors (94%) agreed that GBI is a place where they could ‘spend time outdoors’ in a ‘beautiful natural environment’. A clear majority (87%) of high season visitors also agreed with statements relating to the ability to escape the city, and be on a remote island and to enjoy the coastal marine environment (82%). Likewise, these visitors associate a trip to GBI with the opportunity to experience stepping off the grid and getting away from it all (77%). In common with their low season counterparts, fewer visitors coming in the high season agreed with statements that GBI is a ‘place to gather food’ (31%) or to and learn about ‘local culture, heritage and environment’ (26%).

Figure 35: What a visit to Great Barrier offers visitors (n low season=103, n high season=198)

A beautiful natural environment where I can spend 94 time outdoors 88

An opportunity to escape the city and be on a remote 87 island 85

An opportunity to enjoy the coastal and marine 82 environment 77

An opportunity to step off the grid and get away from it 77 all 72

49 An opportunity for quiet contemplation 48

40 An opportunity to connect with friends and family 53

31 A place to gather food e.g. fishing 33

A chance to learn more about the local culture, heritage 26 and the environment 22

10 Other 8

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Percent

High Season Low Season

Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100%

High season visitors were asked to indicate their level of agreement - using a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) - with a series of statements about GBI as a destination (Figure 36). Both high and low season visitors rate the Island’s ‘beautiful natural attractions’ highest: 4.9 out of 5, and also agree that GBI offers something ‘distinct and different’ compared to other parts of Auckland (4.8).

High season visitors agreed that with the statement the Island is not overcrowded (4.7) and that it is a safe place (4.7) compared to low season visitors. The three statements that received the lowest rating by high season visitors are: ‘has a good range of restaurants, cafes and pubs’ (3.3), ‘offers interesting events’ (3.2) and ‘has good shopping facilities’ (2.8).

Figure 36: Visitors level of agreement on statements about GBI as a visitor destination (n low season range=2-99, n high season=12-195)

4.9 Has beautiful natural attractions (forests beaches, parks) 4.9

Offers something distinct and different to other parts of 4.8 the Auckland region 4.8

4.7 The Island is not overcrowded with visitors 4.5

4.7 Is safe 4.4

4.4 Locals are friendly and helpful 4.2

Information for visitors is easy to find when travelling 4.0 around the Island 3.6

3.9 Has a good range of accommodation options 3.5

Offers interesting cultural and heritage attractions 3.5 (museums and/or art centres) 3.2

3.4 Offers good value for money 3.0

3.3 Has a good range of restaurants, cafes and pubs 2.8

3.2 Offers interesting events (festivals, sporting etc) 3.3

2.8 Has good shopping facilities 2.4

1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 Mean

High Season Low Season

Most attractive or appealing aspects about GBI Visitors were asked to describe what they found most attractive or appealing about GBI as a destination (Table 2). Of the 193 respondents providing comments, the main highlights for visitors revolved around the ‘beauty of the place’, ‘activities’ and ‘lifestyle’ that can be enjoyed on the Island.

Table 2: Most attractive or appealing about GBI for visitors (n high season=193) Percentage of respondents Beauty of the place 95% Activities 65% Lifestyle and atmosphere 36% People – Friendliness of locals 31% Wildlife - animals and birds 27% Uncrowded space 10% Quality of the accommodation 8% Other 7% Variety food and eateries 6% Weather 4% Visiting friends and family 3% Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100%

High season visitors found the ‘beauty and range of beaches’ and ‘accessibility’ to the water to be highlights of their trip. Visitors enjoyed the ‘quiet uncrowded’ ‘lovely white sand beaches’ describing them as ‘pristine’, ‘stunning’, ‘natural’ and ‘beautiful’. The quality and clarity of the water for swimming, diving and fishing got a special mention: ‘crystal blue water’ and ‘crisp clean water’.

GBI’s plentiful areas of bush and forest were very popular with high season visitors with many commenting about the quality of the vast network of walking and tramping tracks. Visitors liked that fact GBI is a ‘relatively unspoilt environment’, with its ‘natural and rugged beauty’. It was a beautiful place, almost untouched by the modern world, amazing walks, lovely beaches Beautiful pohutukawa Forest, birds and beach in Tryphena

The stunning scenery and views many visitors enjoyed while exploring the Island struck a real chord, with many commenting about the ‘amazing hikes and views’ especially from Mt Hobson and the ‘great coastal scenery’.

Experiencing the night sky was a memorable time for high season visitors who commented on the beauty and brightness of the stars, and how ‘black the sky’ was.

High Season visitors (65%) found the variety of activities on offer very appealing with many taking on the challenge of the numerous walking/tramping options on the Island, and the main Aotea Track. Comments included ‘great tramping tracks, huts and accessibility’ and ‘great maintained tracks’. Other land-based activities visitors enjoyed were mountain biking, along with spending time at iconic attractions like ‘Kaitoke hot springs’ and ‘Windy Canyon’.

Water-based activities are very appealing to HS visitors with respondents listing featuring ‘fishing’, ‘surfing’, ‘swimming’, ‘diving’, ‘sailing’, and ‘kayaking’. Other visitors liked to ‘simply relax’ and enjoy the ‘freedom and peace’ they found on the Island. One visitor made the comment that it’s ‘Island time! Schedules become irrelevant’. More cultural pursuits included visiting the local arts and crafts outlets/galleries. For some high season visitors (31%) it was their encounter with the local people on GBI that was the most appealing aspect of their trip with several commenting on the ‘Islanders' hospitality and friendliness’. One visitor commented that ‘friendly locals’ enabled ‘great hitch hiking’. Several comments were also made on how ‘helpful’ locals were, and how enjoyable it was ‘getting to know the locals’.

The wildlife on the Island impressed many high season visitors (27%). Marine life elicited a number of comments including: ‘loved all the dolphins in the bay’. The birdlife on the Island is another big draw card with visitors enjoying the ‘many native birds and bird song’ when out walking.

Several visitors to the Island (10%) enjoyed the fact it was an uncrowded space and that even in the busy season there were not too many people around, comments included: Quiet - not crowded beaches - few people! No one there – quiet Not too many people at campsites Comments were also made about the small resident population adding to a lack of crowding. For some high season visitors (8%) the quality of their accommodation was the most appealing aspect of their visit. The quality of the accommodation on the Aotea track also made a big impression with Mt Heale Hut receiving particular attention. Other ‘most attractive’ themes to emerge included: the range of places to eat out and the opportunity to visit friends and family. A range of ‘other’ responses covered dimensions such as the quality of the roads, ‘eco friendliness’, and the classic ‘Barrier wave’ (while driving).

Least attractive/appealing aspects of GBI High season visitors were asked for the three least attractive/appealing aspects of GBI as a destination (Table 3). Of the 167 respondents providing comments, the main issues highlighted relate to local infrastructure and facilities (75%), limits to the range of things to buy or do (26%) and the lack of friendliness among locals (25%).

Table 3: Least attractive or appealing about GBI for visitors (n high season=167) Percentage of respondents Infrastructure and facilities 75% Not enough things to buy or do 26% Lack of friendliness of local people 25% Expensive location 22% Degradation of the environment 14% Impact of the weather 10% Lack of visitor information – opening hours 4% Other 9% Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100% The quality of the roading on the Island was a focus of many of the infrastructure related comments ‘narrow dangerous roads’, ‘windy roads’, ‘gravel roads’ and that ‘roads not wide enough in places’. Other feedback included: Over development by Council - tarseal roads - signs urbanisation Should have off road cycle/ walking tracks connecting settlements Transport and accessibility is another infrastructure issue commented on by visitors. A key issue is transport to and from the Island, with visitors noting the ‘cost of flights’, the ‘lack of flights from the North Shore’ and ‘difficulty with the weather and flights’. Problems with the ferry service were also raised by visitors including the timetabling, how slow the ferry is, and costs involved especially when bringing a vehicle across. The lack of transportation once on the Island was commented on: ‘rental cars often booked out’, ‘no public transport so limiting options’ to get around GBI. Other indicative statements: Transportation impossible. They don’t put themselves out. Shuttles wouldn’t take 1 person Trying to organise taxi transport- no one would pick us up for 24 hrs. Spent so much time ringing & ringing people. No public transport after a night out at a restaurant When our ferry was cancelled there were no offers of options, we were left to sort out accommodation ourselves Poor cellular coverage and the lack of reticulated power on the Island was another area of infrastructure commented on by visitors.

Infrastructure for boats was also commented on by HS water-based visitors such as the ‘lack of fresh water facilities for cruisers’, ‘too many private moorings’, ‘too many other boats’, and: No queuing system to refuel boats in a busy day at FitzRoy. Confusing for a first time visitor In terms of other facilities on the Island, some of the high season visitors who did the Aotea track commented about the Kaiaraara hut in particular, observing there was ‘no gas for cooking’, a ‘lack of mosquito screens’, and the ‘presence of rats’. Several (26%) high season visitors also commented on the limited range of things to buy and do on GBI. The lack of options in terms of ‘food choices’ especially ‘fresh local produce’ and vegan, and ‘good cheap places to eat’ were commonly raised. The limited opening hours of some shops made it difficult to access basic supplies especially over the Easter weekend. Comments included: Unreliable opening hours of Claris food options Couldn't find gas canisters for hiking stoves A quarter of high season visitors who commented on least appealing aspects focused on the lack of friendliness of the locals, and that they did not feel very welcome. Comments included: ‘rude shop keepers’, ‘grumpy store assistant’, and ‘very unfriendly!’. Other insights included: Feeling 'just a tourist' in shops, being ignored amongst locals Ignored by stallholders at family festival even when I attempted to start conversations Local shopkeeper’s attitude towards "townies" Locals rude, they don’t want to help A small number of visitors also found the ‘attitudes’ and ‘habits’ of some local drivers’ to be slightly intimidating making comments such as ‘hoons at Medlands’ and ‘people driving too fast on narrow roads’. GBI is seen as an expensive destination by one in five of those who commented on least appealing aspects of their visit. Some were ‘surprised by the costs’ with one visitor simply stating they were ‘not prepared for such high prices’. The expense of transport costs to and from the Island was also raised, and for some this was compounded by the high prices encountered while on the Island. Further unappealing aspects mentioned by visitors included how the Island environment is being degraded (14%) with the presence of things like ‘abandoned cars on roadsides’, ‘unsightly buildings’ and ‘beach litter’. The presence of Kauri dieback is highlighted by those visitors walking/tramping, along with ‘storm damage on the bush tracks’. The presence of aquaculture around the Island is also mentioned along with that of the exposed quarry close to the main road.

The need for more visitor information was commented on by 4% of respondents. Issues identified included the ‘lack of signage’ related to access to beaches and safe swimming places, and inaccurate information provided by restaurants and shops about opening hours, or the fact that stated hours were not adhered to. It should be noted that nearly 30% of high season visitors took the time to point out that there were no ‘least appealing’ aspects about their trip to GBI. Ways to improve the visit to GBI High season visitors were asked for their suggestions on what could have improved their experience on GBI, and over half took the time to provide feedback (Table 4). One of the main areas where respondents would like to see improvement is the local infrastructure and facilities (35%) covering areas such as roading, improved mobile phone coverage, and availability rubbish bins. Other suggestions included creation of more walking tracks and to make more of the Island: ‘accessible to wheelchair users’. Suggestions from water-based visitors included better access to fresh water for cruising boats, petroleum station at the wharf for boats, and extra moorings.

Table 4: Ways to improve a visit to GBI (n high season=111) Percentage of respondents Infrastructure and facilities 35% Better transport options 17% Better food and service 15% More visitor information 13% Less people and tourists 8% Less expensive – overall costs 8% Activities and attractions 8% Other 2% Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100% The need for better transport options (17%) was raised by high season visitors. Several visitors would like to see the fast passenger ferry back again, more ferry landing options, and a quicker vehicle/freight ferry. Comments were also made about changes to scheduling of flights to the Island to encourage visitors as expressed below:

More convenient flights. Wanted to fly in Thursday evening but only option for an evening flight was Friday. More people would spend an extra night there if they could get a convenient flight after normal work hours Suggestions for land transport on the Island emphasised the need for ‘better public transport options’ especially over the busy season running from FitzRoy to Tryphena and ‘cheap minibus rides once a day’. Having the opportunity to ‘hire scooters’ and ‘electric bikes’ appealed to visitors.

High season visitors would like to see a better quality and variety of food on offer (15%) especially the availability of local fresh produce. Comments were made about shops running out of basic supplies like bread. Some provided detailed thoughts on food options:

I think a pre made “lunch box”, single serve cereals, pre-made cheese platters etc. would be really popular! Especially selling pre-packaged lunches next to the ferry terminal so visitors can have a fresh healthy option to take on the boat During holiday season visitors expected to have more dining options however some visitors found that cafe/restaurant hours aren’t really suited to visitor’s needs.

We had 4 nights’ accommodation here and ate at the Irish Pub 3 times as options were very limited, this is mid-February so expected other options for dinner Another visitor observed that the problem with wanting ‘better shops and cafes is it’s a doubled-edged sword’. Such improvements could also spoil what makes the Island special.’

Improved levels of customer service at local businesses were also noted as an area for improvement by a few visitors: If you run a business you should answer your phone and know your business. Seems to be locals wanting to make a buck if they can be bothered People could be more welcoming Improved access to accurate information about GBI both before and during the visit to the Island is an area suggested by some (13%). The types of information visitors are looking for on online prior to their trip include what to do, transport options, and places to stay. Once on GBI, several suggested developing more directional signage especially related to indicating beach access and swimming locations. Suggestions on ways to help visitors access more local information included: Local businesses working together - telling visitors where to go and things to do Better maps available at wharf areas/and on ferry Having a system where if the ferry is cancelled there is somewhere you can go to for help A small percentage (8%) of high season visitors wanted to see a reduction in the overall costs associated with their visit to GBI mainly cheaper transport options to/from the Island, and more affordable fuel costs. Suggestions made by some HS visitors (8%) related to more activities and attractions including: ‘guided bird watching tours’, ‘revamping the Arts Trail at Tryphena’, and more ‘live entertainment options’. A few visitors suggested the Department of Conservation could offer more activities e.g. ‘boat trips around the Island’, ‘forest walks and talks’. Creating a marine reserve was also suggested to ‘protect the marine environment and create better snorkelling opportunities’.

A number (25%) of visitors stressed that they would like GBI to remain exactly as it is. The comments below reflect visitors views that GBI should not become over commercialised and lose its uniqueness: Really love it as it is, don’t get too commercialised! Keep Barrier remote, don't try to offer tourism to the masses Some of the rough edges are its very appeal - risk that improving appeal increases tourism numbers and detracts from very aspects we value about the Island Don’t make it like Waiheke. Stay quiet and laid back Keep it as a low impact destination without "shopping" and keeping numbers and environmental impact and cost down with no Great Walk Discourage big Tourism - it will kill the character of the place, ban big houses, ban ideas of grid power, increase tramping tracks and huts for walking folk

Return visits and referrals Nearly all (92%) of high season visitors say they plan to visit GBI again. When asked if they would recommend GBI as a place to visit, 97% of visitors said they would. The main reason given by the small percentage of respondents who would not recommend GBI to other visitors relates to their experience during the busy summer period stating ‘it is overcrowded already’. On a more positive note, one respondent commented “I would recommend it but I want to keep it secret so I can have it to myself...”

Community Survey findings

The Community HS survey covers stakeholders who identified as GBI community members. This definition was developed in conjunction with the Local Board and includes: permanent residents, non-permanent residents, those not living on the Island but considering themselves part of the GBI community, and local business operators – some of whom do not live on the Island full-time. The survey received 167 community resident (non-business owners) responses, and 60 business respondents, all of whom reside on the Island either full or part- time. A total of 227 responses were received for the HS survey which compares favourably with the 174 covered in the low season report. Just over half (51%) of the business respondents and nearly three quarters of the community respondents had not participated in the initial 2017 Community and Business survey. The following section discusses the profile of the survey respondents and is broken into community and business groupings where appropriate. We then review attitudes towards the local visitor industry, holiday home ownership and future tourism development. Females (62%, LS 54%) made up the majority of the respondents who answered the survey. There was good representation from all age groups (Figure 37) with 47% aged between 45 years to 64 years old (LS 49%), and 31% under 45 years of age (LS 33%). A further 21% of respondents were 65 years old or over (LS 17%).

Figure 37: Breakdown of Respondents by age group (n=149)

30 27

20 20

15 15 13 13 Percent

5 5 3 3

0 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-80 80+

Just over 60% (LS 51%) of the community respondents living on GBI are currently employed by local businesses. Of this group, 44% (LS 51%) are working for an organisation that provides services/products to visitors. For the business respondents, 88% (LS 46%) of operators provide services/products to visitors. 40

Over 90% (LS 95%) of business respondents are residents of Great Barrier Island, of which 88% (LS 95%) are full-time with a further 13% living on Island on a part-time basis. Only 7% of business respondents operate a business on the Island but are based elsewhere (LS 5%). Nearly half (48%) of the community respondents surveyed have an annual household income of $50,000 or less (Figure 38). Another quarter have an annual household income of between $50,000 and $100,000. Nearly 30% of respondents have an annual household income over $100,000. Overall LS community respondents had a higher annual household income with 33% earning over $100,000. Just over a third (34%) of LS respondents earned $50,000 or less (HS 48%).

Figure 38: Community respondents’ annual household income (NZ$) (n=101)

30 27

19 20 19

15 Percent 11 10 8 8

6 5 2

0 Under $10,001 - $25,001 – $50,001 - $75,001 - $100,001- $150,001 - $200,001 + $10,000 $25,000 $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000

Holiday home ownership Slightly more business respondents (40%) own a holiday home on the Island compared to community respondents (35%) (Figure 39).

Figure 39: Breakdown of ownership of holiday homes (C=167; B=60)

70 65 60 60

50 40 40 35

Percent 30

0 Yes No

Community Business

Of those owning a holiday home on the Island, three quarters of the business respondents rent these out to visitors (Figure 40). Less than 20% of the community respondents rent their holiday homes to visitors.

Figure 40: Breakdown of respondents renting holiday homes to visitors C=58; B=24)

90 81 80 75

40 Percent

30 25 19 20

0 Yes No

Community Business

Community attitudes towards the Visitor Industry All respondents were asked for their level of agreement with a number of statements relating to the impacts of visitors to GBI on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) (Figure 41). Business respondents tend to strongly agree that visitors are good for Island’s economy (4.6 out of 5), and they stimulate employment opportunities for residents (4.4). Similarly, this group largely agrees that local communities are reliant on visitors as both a source of income and employment (4.2). The community respondents (non-business owners) also tend to strongly agree that visitors are good for the local economy (4.2 out of 5) and generate employment opportunities (4.0 out of 5). The community respondents however tend to be more ambivalent when asked if local communities are reliant on visitors as a source of income and employment (3.8). Community respondent’s express stronger agreement (4.0) with the statement that ‘it is good to have a break from large numbers of visitors during the low season’ than their business owning counterparts (3.7).

Figure 41: Community and business level of agreement with statements about the impact of visitors to GBI (C=148-150; B=55-58)

Visitors are good for the local economy 4.2 4.6

It's good to have a break from large numbers of visitors 4.0 during the low season 3.7

Visitors to Great Barrier stimulate employment 4.0 opportunities for residents 4.4

Communities on the Island are reliant on visitors as a 3.8 source of income and employment 4.2

Because of visitors things get overcrowded during the 3.5 high/summer season 3.1

My community offers a warm welcome to visitors 3.5 3.7

Increased visitor numbers lead to better maintenance of 3.2 public facilities and services 3.7

Visitors have a negative impact on the local 3.2 environment 2.7

The increase in the number of holiday rental homes on 2.9 Great Barrier Island is a good thing 3.3

Ownership of holiday rental homes by people who don't 2.4 live on Great Barrier Island is a good thing 2.6

1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 Mean 1= Strongly Disagree 5=Strongly Agree

Community Business

Both community and business respondents provide similar rankings of their agreement with the statement that their community is welcoming to visitors, and that increasing visitor numbers to GBI leads to improved public facilities and services (3.7 respectively). When asked about their agreement with the statement that ‘the increase in the number of holiday rental homes on Great Barrier Island is a good thing’ there was a clear split – with slightly stronger levels of agreement exhibited by the business group. When asked if they agreed with the statement that ‘ownership of holiday rental homes by people who don’t live on Great Barrier Island is a good thing’, both business and community groups provided ratings in the 2.5-2.6 range. Comparisons with low season findings reveal some significant difference with HS attitudes. Business respondents thoughts on having a break from visitors varied considerably (Figure 42) with fewer than 30% of HS respondents strongly agreeing it was good to have a break from large numbers of visitors during the low season compared to over half of LS respondents.

Figure 42: It's good to have a break from large numbers of visitors during the low season HS/LS (Business n high season=60, n low season=41)

60 52 50

40 35

30 28

Percent 24

20 17 14 12 10 7 7 5

0 1 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree

High Season Business Low Season Business

A larger percentage (46) of LS business respondents strongly agreed that visitors make things overcrowded in the summer season compared to their HS counterparts (Figure 43).

Figure 43: Visitors make things get overcrowded during the high/summer season HS/LS (Business n high season=60, n low season= 41)

50 46 45

25 23 21 21 Percent 19 20 17 16 15 12 12 12

0 1 Strongly Disagree 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree

High Season Business Low Season Business

The impact of visitors to the Island Respondents are asked to describe the impact of visitors to the Island on their quality of life, using a scale of 1 - very negative to 5 - very positive. After just experiencing the high season over 70% of business respondents feel very positively about the impact of visitors on their quality of life (Figure 44). For the community respondents (non-business owners), less than 30% feel positively about the impact of visitors on their quality of life, with a further 45% being neutral about their impact. Just over a quarter (26%) of community respondents feel tourism has a negative impact on quality of life compared to less than 10% of business respondents.

Figure 44: The impact of visitors to the Island on respondent’s quality of life - high season (C=155; B=57)

50 45 45 42 40

35 30 30

Percent 19 19 20 17 15 12

10 7 7 5 2 0 1 Very negative 2 3 4 5 Very positive

Community Business

When compared to the low season findings, the impact of visitors on the quality of life of HS community respondents is fairly consistent with LS respondents tending to see visitors in a slightly more positive light (Figure 45).

Figure 45: The impact of visitors to the Island on respondent’s quality of life – HS/LS (Community n high season=155, n low season=131)

50 45 44 45

25 20 Percent 19 20 17 15 15 15 12

10 7 5 5

0 1 Very negative 2 3 4 5 Very positive

High Season Community Low Season Community

For HS business respondents, there is clearly a very positive impact on the quality of their lives as a result visitors coming to GBI during the summer season (Figure 46).

Figure 46: The impact of visitors to the Island on respondent’s quality of life – HS/LS (Business n high season=57, n low season=41)

45 42

40 37 35 30 30

25 22 20 19

Percent 20 17

10 7 5 5 2 0 1 Very negative 2 3 4 5 Very positive

High Season Business Low Season Business

Close to 60% of the community (non-business owners) would like to see numbers of visitors remain ‘about the same’ as they are now over the next 5 years, with 30% wanting to see more. (Figure 47). Slightly more business respondents (50%) would like to see an increase in visitor numbers compared to remaining at the current level (47%). Just over 10% of community respondents indicate a desire for a reduction in visitor numbers in the next 5 years with a considerably smaller percentage (3%) of business respondents feeling the same way.

Figure 47: In the next 5 years what would you like to see in terms of visitor numbers? (C=166; B=60)

58 60 50 50 47

40 30

Percent 30

20 11 10 3

0 About the same as we have now More visitors than we have now Less visitors than we have now

Community Business

Nearly 60% of the HS community respondents wanted to see visitor numbers remain the same, the low season response was 54% (Figure 47). Only 30% of HS community respondents wanted to see visitor numbers to increase compared to 36% for LS respondents

Figure 48: In the next 5 years what would you like to see in terms of visitor numbers? (Community n high season=166, n low season=127)

58 60 54

40 36 30

Percent 30

20 11 9 10

0 About the same as we have now More visitors than we have now Less visitors than we have now

High Season Community Low Season Community

For HS business respondents, the percentage wanting to see more visitors, or for numbers to remain the same, are slightly higher than for LS respondents (Figure 49). Very few (3%) of HS business respondents want to see fewer visitors.

Figure 49: In the next 5 years what would you like to see in terms of visitor numbers? (Business n high season=60, n low season=41)

50 50 46 47 42 40

30 Percent

20 12 10 3

0 More visitors than we have now About the same as we have now Less visitors than we have now

High Season Business Low Season Business

Concerns related to tourism on the Island All respondents were asked if they had any concerns related to tourism on GBI during the recent high/summer season - 60% of the community respondents and 47% of the business respondents expressed some concerns. The main concerns of these two groups have been combined on Table 1 with environmental issues and tourism behaviour being the main issues raised.

Table 5: Concerns related to tourism (n high season=121) Percentage by respondents Environmental Issues 49% Tourist behaviour 33% Crowding & congestion 23%

Transport & accessibility 22% Facilities & infrastructure 21% Food & customer service 12% Accommodation 7% Other 3%

Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100%

Community respondents’ experienced first-hand the impact that some visitors have on the Island’s natural resources especially during the busy summer months with ‘rubbish on the beaches’, ‘overfishing’, ‘water pollution,’ and ‘damage to flora and fauna’ and ‘with dogs not under control, threatening local birds’. Concerned comments are further highlighted below: They have no respect for the environment, and put more strain on the Barrier environment / ecosystem than it can handle Those visitors coming by boat are specifically mentioned and their impact on the marine environment. Respondents expressed concerns over how waste from the boats is being disposed over, over fishing, and the number of boats moored in the bay. Other marine related comments include: I feel that the number of boaties on the Island is having a negative impact on the amount of fish in our oceans which is taking away the food source for locals Dredging for scallops should be banned. Fishery inspections need to happen at Medlands and other places where boats launch The behaviour of tourists whilst on GBI (33%) is a another concern for the local community from both an environmental standpoint, but also social issues like ‘increased crime’, a ‘disregard of local rules’ and ‘private property’, ‘vandalism’ and ‘noisy behaviour’. Other comments included:

No manners and a disregard for our beautiful Island Many people not here to appreciate the environment but rather party. Wrong type of visitor. Fairly constant partying in rental houses surrounding my home Visitor’s ability to handle the roads during the busy season is also a concern for locals with the following comments being indicative: ‘not driving to the road conditions’, ‘driving too fast and cutting corners’, ‘bigger vehicles on road with poor driving skills’. Some community respondents (23%) are also feeling the pressure from crowding and congestion during the busy summer months. Overcrowding is occurring at ‘hot spots’ over summer including: popular surf breaks, Kaitoke hot springs, Mermaid Pools, and Medlands Beach. Access to local amenities is also a concern especially with regards to car parking. Over the January period it's the worst - I do think at that particular time there are too many people here Overcrowding in car parks at local facilities making it nearly impossible to achieve our daily tasks e.g. laundry mat... Further general comments about crowding and congestion are outlined below: Good to a point but it’s just starting to tip over that point and this isn’t coming from an anti-social Islander but from a very social 18 year old. If you look at Doxey’s model of impact of tourism we are just getting to the irritation stage That we are going to end up like other parts of NZ... overcrowded and over used! We will lose what is special about our Island Stressful at a time of year for relaxation Too many people not enough money into local business Previously visitors wanted to embrace our lifestyle and be adopt Island culture whereas I have noticed a selfish disinterested vibe this year Over one in five respondents (22%) noted that their ability to get on and off Island is a major concern with flights and ferry services being fully booked and expensive. Booking a vehicle on the ferry is difficult unless you book way in advance and even booking flights e.g. to bring children home from school requires planning well in advance Not being able to just jump on a plan on a Friday arvo because all the flights are booked out Residents being able to make bookings for essential travel due to limited spaces on planes. I know several people who had to postpone important hospital appointments This also impacts on friends and family: ‘who need/want to regularly visit their family on the Barrier, especially at peak season times’.

There was concern expressed by some respondents that the current infrastructure (21%) on the Island is already under stress and that growing visitor numbers compound this further: The waste disposal facilities are often abused & overfilled during busy periods Numbers increasing without planning so toilets, tracks, cafe's etc… becoming crowded and roads congested at times Increased visitor numbers to GBI create a number of issues for locals around food and customer service, as one respondent noted: ‘local businesses like restaurants and services providers can’t cope/don’t have the staff’. The challenges of getting food to the Island add extra pressure and in part stem from the lack of capacity from transport providers and occasional poor weather conditions. Barge freight runs not frequent enough to keep shops and cafes stocked The exceptional weather put extreme pressure on providers who sourced food & beverage supplies from Auckland which were offloaded from flights to the Island, giving precedence to travellers Locals are also aware there are some issues in terms of customer service when dealing with visitors: Lack of hospitality to visitors in some shops and clubs I was concerned with poor customer service provided to GBI's visitors on many occasions around the Island Hospitality is a two-way relationship however as one respondent comments: The attitude of some tourists towards those working in the tourism industry can be quite dismissive & rude - that is not how people generally communicate on the Island There was some concern expressed by community about the lack of accommodation (7%) options on GBI with overcrowding being noted in places such as Medlands. Other comments focused on the ‘poor quality’ of some properties on offer, and the feeling that unregulated Airbnb offerings bring negative feedback and create poor word of mouth due to poor facilities. A number of comments highlighted the impact of holiday homes on GBI and often touched on a common theme expressed below: Off Island residents operating holiday homes are damaging the fabric of the community, as well as the culture and feel of the place that makes it so unique

How to address these concerns All respondents who had concerns related to tourism on GBI during the recent high/summer season were then asked how these could be addressed (Table 6). Legislation and regulation (35%) are seen as the main way forward. Legislation around ‘capping’/ ‘controlling’ or ‘restricting visitor numbers’ was suggested as one way to fix the issue: A cap on visitor numbers (could vary in different seasons to give the Island a break) and rules around operating tourist businesses here We cannot change the type of person but we can limit visitor numbers so we are not over run To help preserve the marine environment a new fishing law was suggested: ‘a boat limit as well as impose a daily limit’. Others suggested the need to better enforce existing regulations e.g. ‘spot checks by fisheries officers’ or the appointment of ‘honorary’ fisheries officers. The imposition of heavy fines was proposed as a way to deal with issues like dumping rubbish, along with ‘restricting freedom camping and motor homes’ and ‘other ‘large vehicles’ on the Island. The need to enforce existing regulations around camping restrictions on GBI was also stressed. Several locals would like to see more control over dogs accompanying visitors to the Island. Some suggestions included using a ‘by-law’ to deal with these dogs, to ‘get visiting dogs to have a GBI licence’ or ‘ban them all together’. Biosecurity is also a concern for some with more visitors coming to GBI. One way suggested to combat this is introducing strict policing where ever possible to stop the introduction of new pests and unwanted plant species to the Island.

Table 6: How concerns could be addressed (n high season=112) Percentage of respondents Legislation & regulations 35% Facilities & infrastructure 23% Information & education 21% Less tourism 21% Environment & waste disposal 20% Transportation & accessibility 16% Business development 5% Unsure 5% Accommodation 4% Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100%

The Claris airport is seen as a strategic piece of infrastructure which needs continued investment and upgrading, with some arguing that a longer runway is needed to accommodate larger planes. Parking at the airport is also at a premium so enforcing a limit for long-term parking is proposed on occasion. Other comments include: Claris Aerodrome is severely lacking in quality infrastructure to support quality travel experiences Freight delivery for locals and businesses suffers due to not enough capacity, need bigger planes and a longer runway in Claris The carrying capacity of the ferry service to the Island is not seen to be handling current demands, options include some ‘competition or a different model for the car ferry operator’ with one respondent stating: The sailings are limited which we cope with but the boat now carries less per sailing Increased number of barge freight runs from Christmas to mid-January, discourage visitors coming in January Roading maintenance and upgrades are an ongoing issue, the idea of an Island entry levy to cater for extra population was suggested by some as a way to fund needed improvements over time. Others felt that for the visitors coming to tramp or walk in the bush a ‘small fee for the privilege of utilising walking tracks’ could be charged which would go towards their maintenance. The general feeling is that visitors need more information and education about the environment they are staying in, and the best ways to ensure it is preserved to be enjoyed by everyone. Some of the ideas on ways to encourage visitors to be a ‘good tourist’ and have ‘minimal impact on the local environment’ are listed below: FREE Visitors do’s and don’ts guide. Signs about the place Education with holiday home owners and holiday makers about wastewater and preservation Possibly rental car companies providing a brochure or something similar highlighting roading issues One respondent commented that ‘visitors need to want to learn about their destination (before they arrive) otherwise it is a waste of time’. There were suggestions on ways to not ‘oversell’ the Island and to target the right type of visitor: GBI needs to be marketed as an environmental destination. It’s not about numbers of people but quality of tourist Promote the Barrier as a place to come in the off-season for "time out”! Don't continue to push for and advertise for more and more visitors Dealing with rubbish on the Island seems to be a concern with many suggesting more rubbish bin sites and increased services to cater for waste generated by visitors. Education around recycling is one way to ensure existing facilities are properly used by visitors especially during the high season. 53

Another suggestion to reduce rubbish left on the Island is to encourage visitors to ‘take their rubbish off the Island’. Enforcing a ‘visitor’s tax to raise revenue for environmental projects’ is one way to fund initiatives. It was also noted by one respondent that there is a need to ‘try to develop more community responsibility towards care of the GBI environment’. Community respondents would ideally like to see more transport providers servicing GBI with greater carrying capacity particularly for freight. Reintroducing the quick ferry would be welcomed. These statements were not usually driven by a desire to have more tourists but rather by the need to ensure sufficient availability of access for community members. Other comments included: Liaison between community (board) and freight providers to improve frequency and timing of freight services Priorities. Can’t feed the masses without freight. Extra flights / ferries Restricted numbers of flights but some concession for locals Service options need to be developed to cope with increased visitor numbers over the busy summer months. Suggestions included more food outlets to be established with one respondent offering the following comment on a way to do this: Facilitate "pop-up" food services but limited license period so don't oversaturate market in the quieter period (March onwards) and create too much competition with existing facilities Comments were also raised about short-term rental properties, these included placing restrictions on numbers, and that only properly permitted buildings should be used for rental accommodation to help raise the standard on offer for visitors and reduce negative word of mouth. A small percentage of comments were from respondents who were simply not sure how to address the concerns raised about tourism over the high season. Who is best placed to do this? The next step was for those respondents who identified issues and suggested ways to address them was to suggest ‘who is best placed to do this’. Table 7 shows a list of government agencies organisations and other groups suggested by respondents. Auckland Council’s responsibilities are seen to be far reaching and respondents want to ensure GBI is ‘recognised as a special place to preserve its uniqueness’. Support for local operators is needed from Council to ‘help and encourage’ them as they develop the visitor industry on the Island. Consultation by Council is also important to ensure that any future plans fit with the local community’s vision for the future.

GBI Local Board are seen as the facilitators and are encouraged to continue to partner with other organisations on the Island such as DOC. One comment was made about the Local Board’s possible role: Local board should look at capping visitor numbers to match our limited infrastructure, not change our infrastructure to match increased visitor numbers

Table 7: Who is best to address these concerns (n high season=109) Percentage of respondents Auckland Council 34% GBI Local Board 26% Others 21% Business & tour operators 15% Central government 14% Residents 14% Local transport providers 12% DOC 11% Destination GBI 4% Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100% Local businesses and tour operators are seen to be in a position to address issues relating to tourism given they are likely to benefit the most. The following comment reflected the feeling held by some: ‘business owners themselves - no one else is responsible for their business’. Central government departments identified to provide assistance with tourism related issues included the ‘Ministry of Tourism’ and the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI). Over the peak season locals would like to see a higher presence of MPI officers on the Island to enforce fishing regulations. Some respondents suggested that an all of industry/community solution is needed. As one respondent stated ‘it is the community made up of local business operators, tourist operators and residents who need to be responsible and take local control over our future’. Ways that local communities on the Island can benefit more from high season visitors All respondents were asked to put forward ideas on how local communities on the Island can benefit more from visitors. Table 8 shows the broad themes that emerged from these comments. Improving the Island’s infrastructure (24%) is seen as a win-win for everyone both locals and visitors. Forward planning is needed to ensure any infrastructure improvements put forward can accommodate the needs of the Island throughout the year. Key areas identified being transportation on/off the Island, roading and track maintenance.

Table 8: Ways that local communities on GBI can benefit more from high season visitors (n=156) Percentage by respondents Improving infrastructure 24% Local ownership of the tourism industry 14% Support local businesses to service tourism 10% Visitor tax or levy 8% Limit visitor numbers 8% Support local linkages and business opportunities 6% Promote and support local events 6% Improve service quality 4% Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100% - smaller percentages not included Greater local ownership of the tourism industry (14%) is one way the community can benefit from not only high season visitors but any time of the year. Making sure visitors coming to GBI are ‘given opportunities to spend their money’ and are aware ‘what they can spend their money on’ – there needs to be more visitor information and awareness of what is on offer. The point that many visitors come to the Island with minimal contribution to the local economy is highlighted in the comment below: You just have to put your heads together as a Community & come up with ideas of how we can get the visitors to spend their $$; they are using the facilities of the Island for FREE. So the more they spend for that short stint on GBI, is great for our economy Better linkages between the local tourism operators and clearer communication with visitors about opening hours and services on offer would help visitors to better link to the economy. Promoting local events is another way to get visitors more involved and contributing to the community both in terms of economic benefit and by improving levels of positive interaction and understanding as well. Developing businesses on the Island that focus on “offering a local experience” (e.g. locally guided tours/walks) that is relatively low impact on the environment but would generate income and employment for locals. Ideally the emphasis should be on quality over quantity: Restricting numbers and developing quality products e.g. guided walks with local guides. Introducing visitors to a full range of options available Organisations like DOC and Auckland City could definitely be more flexible and supportive of local tourism related ventures Charging a ‘Visitor Levy’ is proposed as one way to fund local projects and conservation initiatives that will benefit the community and visitors coming to GBI. Another suggestion was for visitors to sponsor ‘a native tree to be planted on the Barrier for the benefit of the rare and endangered birds, particularly the Kaka’. Such concepts are seen as positive ways to offset the ‘environmental footprint of tourism and the inevitable damage to the ecological environment that more tourists bring’.

While limiting numbers in the high season is seen as one answer to reduce pressures, some suggested promoting GBI in the off season to help spread both the numbers of visitors to the Island and their related economic impacts. There are sections of the community who are not directly linked with the tourism industry and feel they do not see ‘any economic or other benefits from tourism’ and that ‘only tourism operators/businesses’ benefit. Ways need to be found to raise the awareness of what tourism brings to GBI to help people see ‘the bigger picture’ such as improvements to local services and infrastructure which benefit all. General comments about tourism on GBI Respondents has the opportunity to add any general comments about tourism on GBI (Table 9).The large majority of the comments reinforced the community’s desire for ‘careful decision making to get tourism right’. The local community are aware that the tourism industry is like a ‘double edged sword’ and clearly do not want to ‘become another Waiheke’ and change the very nature of what makes ‘GBI so special and unique’.

Table 9: General comments about tourism on Great Barrier Island (n=146) Percentage of respondents Careful planning and decision making 45% Tourism is positive thing for the Island 23% Infrastructure needs to be improved 16% Quality low impact tourism should be focus 15% Visitors must be respectful 10% Tourism is a negative thing for the Island 9% Low and shoulder seasons to be developed 6% Improve service quality 5% Note: Multiple response therefore total does not add to 100% - smaller percentages not included Comments were also made about attracting the ‘right type of visitor’ and that care needed to be taken not to over emphasise ‘high value’ visitors (like Waiheke) and instead look to ‘family friendly’ visitors and to attract ‘alternative’ types of people. It is generally acknowledged that GBI needs tourism to not only survive but to support the community, and improve the Island’s infrastructure and resources. Regardless, there is a strong message that any tourism development on GBI must be done in a way that protects the environment, and also protects local interests. Suggestions regarding the ‘type’ of tourism to be developed tended to focus on ‘nature- based/eco-tourism’, ‘off-grid tourism’, ‘star gazing’ with the emphasis away from ‘commercialised tourism’. Several respondents stressed the need to attract like-minded visitors who would respect the environment and the lifestyle enjoyed on GBI.

Conclusions: This report provides a detailed review of the information to emerge from the 2018 Great Barrier Island Visitor and Community Surveys (January-April). Throughout the report we have also drawn comparisons to the previous low season survey (October-December 2017). The report highlights a number of important themes that inform the Great Barrier Island Visitor Strategy (http://www.nztri.org.nz/great-barrier-island). Some of the key themes to emerge from the data include:

• A need for improvements in infrastructure (roading, water etc.) and a clear understanding of the links between increased tourism and future infrastructure development. • A need to provide increased visitor information both on Island and before arrival – especially in areas such as culture, heritage and ‘everyday life’. • A need to enhance the ‘dark sky’ dimension of the GBI experience and to leverage more effectively from this development. • The importance of maintaining regular and cost-effective transport links for both visitors and locals. • The community is clearly aware that tourism is a significant part of the local economy and future of Aotea / Great Barrier Island, but there is also a sense that it could do more for local income and job creation. • There is room to increase visitor spend on Island and also what flows to the Island from pre-paid activities. In order to increase spend it will be important to look to enhance and develop products and experiences and to improve the standard of service on offer in existing products. • It is important to attract visitors that will assist in reaching economic development goals and be part of a sustainable industry that does not degrade the environmental and community resources upon which it depends. • The only way to sustainably develop yield is to improve the quality of the visitor experience and ALSO that of the local community – ‘if tourism works for community then community will work for tourism’. Clearly the future visitor strategy must place the local community and the visitor at its heart. It is clear that both locals and visitors do not want to see untrammelled growth of the industry. It is vital that visitor numbers be managed within the constraints of local resource availability and that the pressures of seasonality be accounted for. It is important that GBI does not become another ‘Waiheke’ and that community have a role to play in future development. Such an approach will also help to enhance and protect the unique features and sense of place that characterise Great Barrier. Perhaps we can leave the final words to one of the community survey respondents who sums up the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead: Tourism is very much needed. A tight control of numbers to the Island at one time is a must I think. Education on our environment is also essential. Let’s NOT ruin our beautiful Island/ environment. Let’s get some things in place before this happens. Great to have a survey to have a say...thanks!