Accidents in the New Zealand adventure tourism industry

Abstract

The New Zealand adventure tourism industry was surveyed to determine the incidence of client accidents and injuries and to investigate operators’ accident investigation and reporting behaviour. The 142 adventure tourism operators who responded to the survey represented a wide and diverse range of adventure activities, including kayaking, white water rafting, mountain recreation, horse riding and guided walks. Businesses surveyed were concentrated in locations acknowledged as main centres of adventure tourism activity. Operators were asked a number of questions regarding their accident notification, investigation and reporting behaviour. Poorest accident reporting performance was found for smaller operators, and among operators from the least regulated sectors of the adventure tourism industry. A very low incidence of client injuries was reported by operators, suggesting accidents and injuries are being seriously under-reported in some sectors. Highest client injury-incidence rates were found for activities that involved the risk of falling from a moving vehicle or animal (cycle tours, quad biking, horse riding and white water rafting). Operators from these sectors frequently reported ‘falls from a height’ as accidents involving clients. Slips, trips and falls on the level were common across most sectors of the industry. A conceptual model of operators’ perceptions of common risk factors for accidents/incidents involving clients is presented. Recommendations for intervention and further research are discussed.