Moving away from a fragmented approach to tourism

We all know we have a depressed economy in the Hawke's Bay, so the development of a higher standard of tourism strategies is a good idea.  The emphasis of tourism is often on consumption, however we should support social tourism that enables all working people to use their paid leave to travel and relax during their well deserved annual holidays. Therefore we need to develop the strategies to identify how we can ensure affordable holidays for everyone.

In the bigger picture I believe in the future of tourism in Hawke’s Bay. Building a strong tourism industry in Napier will create new  jobs. Currently tourism in the Hawke’s Bay is often supported by the good will of volunteers.  Generally people are not aware that the whole Faraday Science Centre in Napier is run by 15 volunteers including the former Napier mayor.

If we put a good transitional plan into action, with proper guidance and financial support it could change the face of the Hawke’s Bay.  It could also result in a tourism boom from which Napier could benefit.

Over the period of 25 years Napier has developed into the Art Deco capital of New Zealand.  Napier's history, architecture and annual Art Deco festival today help define the character of our town. The festival attracts a large number of  international visitors and it has become an enormous commercial success.  

It is worth mentioning that the well organized carnival in Rio de Janeiro is the one of the major events in Brazilian economy. According to the last year figures the 850,000 visitors to the Brazil annual festival in Rio contributed $628 million to its country's yearly tourism income of $3.2 billion. At our own scale, we could emulate this success.

Apart from Art Deco, developing ecotourism in Hawke’s Bay is important as well.
  

Hawke’s Bay has a very distinctive character, but to make the most of it we need to move away from fragmented approaches to tourism and have a more focused approach.