| Sustainability means many things to many different | | | | estate is under the control of either the central |
| people but can be elegantly summarized as "meeting | | | | government Department of Conservation, or regional |
| the needs of the present without compromising the | | | | councils. This centralized control makes it possible to |
| ability of future generations to meet their own | | | | rationally manage the access to this estate, especially |
| needs". | | | | in the case of tour operators who use the estate for |
| Central to the concept of sustainability is the use of | | | | economic activity. Through their concession process, |
| resources in such a way that the resources are | | | | the Department of Conservation attempts to |
| preserved into the future. In the case of the New | | | | manage the loading and impacts on conservation |
| Zealand tour operator, some of the key resources | | | | lands, thereby preserving the core values of this land. |
| that underpin the values of our tourism industry are | | | | Many aspects need to be addressed when evaluating |
| our wilderness experience, incredible natural scenery | | | | the impacts of a human activity on the conservation |
| and generally uncrowded environment. And here lies | | | | estate. These may include such issues as noise |
| the inbuilt dilemma within the New Zealand tourism | | | | generation, over crowding, rubbish disposal, |
| industry. The very values and attributes that we rely | | | | requirement for structures and facilities, and damage |
| on as a tour operator are at risk of compromise by | | | | to rare flora and fauna. In evaluating the effects of |
| the success of the very industry that relies on them. | | | | these things on the conservation value of an area, |
| Clearly, if this situation is unmanaged, the tourism | | | | you must first be able to define the values you are |
| industry in it's current form will not be sustainable in | | | | trying to protect and preserve, only then is it possible |
| the medium term. | | | | to manage the human activity in such a way that the |
| How then, in a relatively free market, does the | | | | effects are minimized and mitigated into the future. |
| industry address this aspect of sustainable operation? | | | | The process of obtaining a concession is long, |
| How is a balance achieved between the current | | | | expensive, and not without beaurocratic involvement, |
| economic needs of the tour operator, and the | | | | but the process of balancing competing needs in an |
| preservation of the tourism resource for future | | | | iconic landscape is complex and is critical for the truly |
| generations? | | | | sustainable operation of the New Zealand tourism |
| In New Zealand, a huge amount of the conservation | | | | industry. |