Tourism and regenerating place: Insights from Queen Charlotte Sound/Tōtaranui

Abstract

Queen Charlotte Sound/Tōtaranui in the Marlborough Sounds (‘Sounds’) is one of the iconic coastal taonga of Aotearoa New Zealand. Picton/Waitohi is the gateway to the Sounds, being the arrival and departure point for the inter-island ferry. It is also the jump-off point for the Queen Charlotte Track, and for the enjoyment of the sheltered coastal waterways. The area has a rich Māori history, with Te Ātiawa iwi now holding mana whenua over the area. European involvement dates back to 1770, with the arrival of the English vessel Endeavour to Meretoto/Ship’s Cove. Tourism also has a long history, with visitors attracted to the scenic beauty and the once numerous fish and shellfish species, some of which are now scarce. Tourism has had significant historical impacts on kaimoana. These range from damage to Waikawa estuary from construction of the marina, to ship-wake disturbance from the fast ferries along Kura Te Au/Tory Channel and the inner parts of Tōtaranui. Pressure from increasing visitation prior to the 2020-21 coronavirus pandemic (hereafter ‘Covid’) caused a range of effects. Notable adverse effects were associated with freedom campers, seasonal fishing pressure, and the reinvasion of mice onto predator-free islands. Positive effects included the benefits of income from increased cruise ship visits, the growing popularity of the Queen Charlotte Track, and the completion of the Link Pathway between Picton and Havelock that now offers an additional scenic tramping and mountain biking opportunity. Visitation therefore occurs within the context of the wider ecosystem, which has a myriad other influences influencing the ecology, such as extractive land-based and marine activities. The notion of regeneration in an ecological sense has been gaining attention, as more people are realising the planet is struggling to cope with the cumulative and multiple effects of humanity’s collective activities. Regeneration has recently been discussed for tourism, primarily from the standpoint of recovering the tourism industry badly hit by Covid disruption, here and overseas. However, there is also an emerging narrative about tourism ‘giving back’ to people and place within the context in which it is nested. An exploration of these ideas was the subject of our interim report to the Department of Conservation/Te Papa Atawhai (DoC) in late 2020. The purpose of the current report is twofold. First, to present an analysis of targeted interviews (12) undertaken with tangata whenua, DoC, Marlborough District Council (MDC), Destination Marlborough, tourism providers, and residents to explore how tourism post-Covid might unfold in Tōtaranui. Second, to present to DoC a project scope for a destination management plan that is focused on the regeneration and rehabilitation of the Sounds.