Time for tourist emphasis change

Press, 1 February 1986, Page 21

Time for tourist emphasis change

An American expert supports the view that the emphasis in the South Island tourist industry should be changed. He believes that the emphasis should now be on "experiences” — things to do — rather than just scenery. The expert is Mr Michael Issenberg, a tourist and leisure-industry consultant with the international accounting firm, Horwarth and Horwarth.

Mr Issenberg, based in Sydney, has been in the South Island doing consultancy work for Walter Peak Resorts, Ltd, at Queenstown, and for the Castle Hill Village scheme in Canterbury. Mr Issenberg said yesterday that many people travelling wanted to do things such as rafting or climbing during the day, and wanted to return to hotels for a meal with wine in the evenings. New Zealand had many activities to offer, such as golf, that were attractive to visitors.

In Canterbury, Mr Issenberg believes there should be development of such centres as Hanmer Springs, Akaroa, Methven, and Castle Hill to entice the visitor to stay longer in Christchurch, which he says is largely regarded as a gateway city to the South Island.

If he were to set up in business for himself at the moment, Mr Issenberg says, it would be as a specialist travel agent, offering specialist tours to a small segment of

the overseas tourist market. ’ Mr Issenberg graduated from Cornell University in hotel and restaurant management. He worked in management for an international hotel chain before joining Horwath and Horwath. He has done consultancy work for many of the major skifields in the United States, and is a keen skier. On his visit he drove to Mount Hutt. He feels that New Zealand skifields need better access and facilities if they are to attract more tourists. Other fields in which Horwath and Horwath acts as a consultant include entertainment, theatrical productions, theme parks, and travel agencies. Tourism is of great benefit to a country, Mr Issenberg says. It has one of the highest multiplier effects of any industry. (This is the number of times a dollar spent is respent.) < New Zealand has still much to do in the industry. It is still developing as a tourist country. Mr Issenberg is typically called in at the assessment stage of a project. He assesses the region and the project Fees might run to $30,000. The benefit is not only an outside analytical assessment of feasibility. When it comes to raising capital such an independt ent study is often crucial. Some firms which do not need the outside expertise

hire Horwath and Horwath to provide an independent report for a loan application. The New Zealand affiliates of Horwath and Horwath are the accountants, Miller, Gale, and Winter.