Domestic and international consumer insights
Earlier this month we shared a media release with you on domestic and international consumer insights relating to Piopiotahi Milford Sound and the Milford Opportunities Masterplan. We were delighted to see such a high degree of enthusiasm for responsible tourism to this area and that many of the masterplan’s recommendations make sense from a visitor perspective.
We know that many international visitors choose New Zealand for its incredible natural landscapes. It follows that visitors would want to feel they were contributing to safeguarding these places, but it is still rewarding to see 79% of international visitors actually opting in to pay for something (providing this goes back into the place and its communities). Many countries are accustomed to paying to visit their national parks or World Heritage sites and want to know they are appropriately contributing to the places they enjoy.
It was less surprising but equally rewarding to see that New Zealanders highly value Piopiotahi. The research gave us clear messages, this is an icon of New Zealand, our work must protect and uphold the area’s pristine nature and, when it comes to infrastructure and development, people want less and better.
Overall, the majority of domestic (75%) and international (91%) respondents liked the masterplan and its ideas. However, there were some interesting insights regarding how people felt any proposed changes might impact living and working in the area. We are continually mindful of any wider implications from this work and encourage people to keep providing feedback and sharing context with the project team as you can.
