Assessing tourism yield: an analysis of public sector costs and benefits

Abstract

Yield has become a central issue in tourism development. Throughout the world many tourism managers speak of "high yield, low volume" tourism. In New Zealand, for example, the national Tourism Strategy (NZTS2010) has called for improved yield management and sustainable development as its two key goals. In response to these goals Lincoln University and Landcare Research Ltd in partnership with the Tourism Association of New Zealand, have recently been funded by New Zealand's Ministry of Tourism, to undertake an extensive programme of research to investigate the nature of tourism yield. To ensure sustainable tourism development it is argued necessary to determine financial (business), economic (transactionally evident), and sustainable yield. Under such a framework it is necessary to consider private sector, public sector and society's costs and benefits arising from tourism production and consumption. This paper reports on an analysis of the public sector's contributions. It reviews definitional and methodological challenges before reporting on a national level, two regional, and two local authority case studies. In parallel with the private sector, government agencies' involvement in tourism is both broad (virtually all government departments have some involvement with tourism) and varies at different geographical scales. Tourism also attracts a spectrum of economic and social Idevelopmental perspectives which lead to differing policy perspectives. All of these serve to confound an easy analysis. The definitions and analyses presented in this paper have arisen from a joint sector - researcher framework. This 'work in progress' is put forward as a basis for discussion and debate. Data from this project will be carried forward into the programme's broader consideration of regional yield and yield per tourist type. They will also inform tools for public sector investment in tourism.