Project Forever Waiheke E-News

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Project Forever Waiheke E-News

2023 has seen some really major challenges thrown at the Waiheke community – floods, serious stormwater problems, continuing ferry mismanagement, and ferry fare increases in particular. The response of the community – neighbours, community groups, the Local Board, and our fantastic social, health and emergency services – has been nothing short of heroic. Those of us who’ve lived on the island for decades know that that response is no accident – it’s built on the Waiheke spirit of connection, support for neighbours and others, and a profound ethos of kaitiakitanga and care for the island itself.

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PFW News Update: February 2022

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PFW News Update: February 2022

“Time to rethink tourism”: UN World Tourism Organisation

As Kiwis see our borders opening again – at last – the Project Forever Waiheke team has been exploring how tourism scholars and planners internationally, and here in NZ, are envisaging the future of tourism.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on global tourism, particularly for developing countries and island nations like Fiji, Cook Islands and Tonga, whose economies depend significantly on international tourists and who cannot pivot to domestic tourism.

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PFW News Update: September 2021

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PFW News Update: September 2021

Planning New Zealand tourism’s next directions: Where to after Delta? Update - Spring 2021

Our government, while currently sticking to its elimination strategy, is now focussing on vaccination as the way forward for recovering everyday freedoms in Aotearoa New Zealand. The freedom to travel and move around – whether for work, education, medical appointments, entertainment or a holiday – is dependent on vaccination rates being as high as possible. Countries already permitting tourism again have turned to ‘vaccination passports’ of various kinds, and they are also being used increasingly to encourage, or require, vaccination rates in work and other domestic settings. A similar concept is being developed here.

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PFW News Update: June 2021

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PFW News Update: June 2021

The future of tourism

As Aotearoa New Zealand for the moment maintains its precarious Covid-free community status, most tourism providers around the country have accepted that until every eligible person is fully vaccinated, keeping our borders closed to international tourists is essential. Not least because this allows domestic tourists to travel freely around the country, and without local tourism, many businesses that rely heavily on tourism could be forced to either go into hibernation or close their doors for good. And when the borders are opened up again, there is a similar acknowledgement that NZ tourism cannot return to ‘business as usual’ based on pre-Covid levels: resetting and rebuilding a more regenerative tourism industry is crucial to the country’s future prosperity and wellbeing.

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PFW News Update: January 2021

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Tourism in the time of COVID

It has been a gratifyingly busy summer holiday period for the island’s visitor services and local businesses. Although visitor numbers were down, the total spend in December 2020 was only 2.3% less than the same period last year. The numbers reflect a rise in domestic tourism, with Kiwis from all over the country enjoying our beaches, walking trails, wineries and restaurants.

However, tourism providers are worrying that with the school holidays ending and most New Zealanders returning to their everyday lives, the picture for the next few months is far from rosy. In their latest newsletter, Waiheke Island Tourism Inc (WITI) posed the question of ‘the Waiheke wear-out factor’. “Once Kiwis have ticked Waiheke off their to-do list, do we get classified as ‘been there, done that’, and they’re off looking for somewhere new to go?”

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