Post-Pandemic Recovery: A Case of Domestic Tourism in Akaroa (South Island, New Zealand)

Abstract

The current pandemic (Covid-19) disrupted businesses and challenged societies all over the world. In particular, destinations are being urged to keep the attraction and value of their products and services in post-pandemic tourism recovery programs. Drawing from a qualitative study based on published reports and research, and using participant observation, this research analyses the situation of tourism in Akaroa, South Island of New Zealand, during the coronavirus outbreak and the first stages of the recovery process. Results of the research show that while crisis management led to the closure of the sector due to strict social and travel restrictions, the confinement measures adopted by the government and the progressive reopening of the country has resulted in a shift from “cruise tourism” into a gradual return of “domestic tourism”. This paper argues that local peoples’ perspectives must be kept in mind when developing a tourism recovery strategy. This case study also shows that because of the nature of changing working environment, there is potential to change local demography in the form of an increase in residents putting pressure on local infrastructure. In a rural and marine environment, local stakeholders’ attention is required to focus on “quality” of tourism rather than “quantity”. Nature-based resources and outdoor activities are expected to be the critical ingredients for tourism’s immediate and sustainable future.

The Influence of New Post-Pandemic World Standards on the Development of the Tourist Industry

“…• a new feature of the post-pandemic world is manifested in the development of domestic tourism. Such an example is considered in the studied recovery of this industry in New Zealand [8]. However, the trend continues and extends to all countries.…”

Island Tourism-Based Sustainable Development at a Crossroads: Facing the Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Current analyses and discussions on what the future holds for island tourism development and possible tourism paradigm shifts are obviously mostly tentative and speculative. The conclusion of most such research is that, taking into account the effects of the pandemic, climate change, the negative impacts of unsustainable island tourism development, and the need to improve islands' resilience in the face of crises, islands need to focus on developing a greener and more sustainable island tourism [45,49], on domestic tourism [50,51], on developing alternative, nature-based types of tourism experiences [51,52], and on economic diversification [52,53].…”

“…Post-COVID-19 recovery plans need to focus on the 'quality' of tourism development and not on 'quantity'. Already, many local communities, wishing to avoid the prepandemic scenario when cruise or massive tourism had resulted in negative economic, environmental, and social impacts, have shifted towards 'domestic tourism', with much more emphasis on conservation, ecology, and the importance of cultural heritage (see for example, the case of Akaroa, in New Zealand, [51]). Domestic tourism can indeed repre- On the other hand, economic diversification needs to be combined with sustainability practices (there are already islands that, for instance, are embracing the 'plastic-free' concept; another possibility could be 'pesticide or (certain) chemical(s) free' islands), which can lead to increasing resilience in case of economic downturn or in the face of pandemics.…”

“…Post-COVID-19 recovery plans need to focus on the 'quality' of tourism development and not on 'quantity'. Already, many local communities, wishing to avoid the prepandemic scenario when cruise or massive tourism had resulted in negative economic, environmental, and social impacts, have shifted towards 'domestic tourism', with much more emphasis on conservation, ecology, and the importance of cultural heritage (see for example, the case of Akaroa, in New Zealand, [51]). Domestic tourism can indeed represent an opportunity for many islands so as to address the devastating health and socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic, and improve residents' quality of life and tourists' safety, by providing a more sustainable type of tourism development, with a focus on experiential, rural, and active tourism [63].…”

Sustainable Determinants That Affect Tourist Arrival Forecasting

“…Following the above statement and an extensive and exhaustive literature review [55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62], in which only one study [63] developing the objective of an increased sustained influence of sustained determinants [64] on post-pandemic tourism was found [65][66][67], the state-of-the-art hypothesis was developed. It also includes an outstanding methodological significance: a sustainable human management of the climate and ecosystems would significantly increase tourist arrivals in Croatia and Slovenia and reduce seasonal volatilities.…”