Resource assessment for recreation and tourism: a New Zealand example

Abstract

Under the Conservation Act 1987, the Department of conservation (DOC) is given responsibility to foster the use of New Zealand's natural and historic resources for recreation and tourism, where this does not compromise inherent conservation values. To facilitate regional-level planning in respect of this mandate, the DOC sought to identify methods by which to assess the potential of the resource base to support recreation and tourist activities, incorporating also an evaluation of conservation values. There are two main methods: an assessment of recreation and tourism potential, which embodies both the consideration of scenic amenity and suitability for activity-based recreation, and an assessment of conservation values considering indigenous forest, wildlife and soil conservation requirements.