Making iconic tourism places: A case study of New Zealand's great walks

Abstract

New Zealand’s ‘Great Walks’ are a collection of nine, multi-day tramping trips through sections of the country’s national parks. These walks were once largely the preserve of domestic recreationists but are now increasingly popular tourism products and an important part of international tourism promotion. The Milford Track, for example, the most recognised Great Walk, is marketed by Tourism New Zealand as ‘the greatest walk in the world’. The tourism industry’s focus on promoting the Great Walks as desirable recreational opportunities for visitors has had a significant impact with 127,000 recreationists utilising the Great Walks during the 2016/17 season, representing an increase of more than 50 percent since 2011.