Elery Hamilton-Smith

This paper has been developed from an address to the Waitomo Village Forum on 2 July 1993. It is based on my experience of previous visits to Waitomo (especially in 1987 and 1988), continuing contact with those interested in cave tourism, and my observation and discussions while visiting the village from 25th June to 4th July. 

As an outsider, I can offer several things to the village community:
* A genuine love for Waitomo, a place which I have visited with great pleasure on a number of occasions since the 1960's.
* A world-wide experience in issues of cave management, community development and tourism planning and
* The simple fact of being an outsider, which means 1 can say things which might be difficult for a resident to say.

 So, this paper will share with residents my perception, as a friendly outsider, of the situation here in Waitomo, how it relates to the world tourism scene, and what the village might do to prepare for the challenges which will inevitably confront all residents over the next few years. I believe I can only do this adequately if I am perfectly honest, even though that might mean implying criticism of people whom I am privileged to count amongst my very good friends.

Also by way of introduction, I see Waitomo as one of the world's greatest cave resorts (more of that later), but I know that the community will be facing changes which might very easily destroy the Waltomo that we all know and love.  The very integrity of this community, not just its economy, important as that is, depends upon the right planning and management. 

Just to set the scene against which the situation of Waitomo can be discussed, I will start with several observations on the general trends in world tourism: 

Firstly, the good news is that the current wave in developed tourism is about authenticity, eco-tourism and adventure tourism.  New Zealand in general, and Waitomo in particular, is ideally placed to deliver this kind of tourism experience.  The shift towards this more personalized tourism experience is also good news in the extent to which its economic benefits accrue very largely to the host community, rather than to national or even multi-national corporations.  It also has a tendency to be more labour-intensive in the provision of visitor services, and hence to have a bigger impact upon employment creation in the local community.  Then, in countries such as New Zealand, it also brings international and domestic tourism together within a common service system.  Finally, it fosters contacts and friendships between people of different countries and so makes a truly personal fact of better international relationships.

Secondly, what happens to tourism in Waitomo, or even in New Zealand, is not entirely within New Zealand control.  The number of visitors to any country or region is not just a matter of how many people can be attracted.  The biggest increases in visitors to New Zealand are coming from the Asian continent; it is important to recognize that each of the major countries of origin have policies in place, irrespective of anything New Zealand may decide or do, about the number of tourists they intend to send here. 

Further, if you think about it for a moment, there are all sorts of unpredictables; a major war in the Middle East would simply destroy market opportunities in Europe; a major change in the economic policies and direction of any one major Asian country may well reduce or even eliminate the impact of that country upon market opportunities.

Thirdly, in the short and medium term, there will be an incredible increase in demand, much of which will come from those countries which are entering the international tourism arena for the first time., this is both good and bad news, and it is the biggest challenge which must be confronted.  What will Waitomo do if it finds itself, some years from now, with 40.000 visitors in one day?  More importantly, will that ever be allowed to happen?  And if the community doesn’t want it to happen, how will they stop it?

Fourthly, you, or any other regional community, can plan to confront all the challenges which will arise and to develop strategies to deal with them if all concerned are prepared to work at developing an agreed strategy and putting it into action.  Again, more of that later. Now, I want to turn to the Waitomo scene specifically, and in order to summarize my view of the local scene, I have decided to use the somewhat hackneyed SWOT analysis approach - strengths, weakness, opportunity and threats.

THE WAITOMO EXPERIENCE

First of all, I believe Waitomo has a remarkable and quite distinctive set of very great strengths, all of which combine to make it a world-class attraction:
* a beautiful landscape
* a remarkable diversity of very striking caves, including features not found anywhere else in the world, of all the many cave resorts of the world, probably only the Black Hills of South  Dakota even approaches Waltomo in terms of the unusual and distinctive character of the caves.  At Waitomo, of course, this is based very much, but not only, in the glowworm displays.
* a Caves Museum that offers, in my judgment and experience, the best and most exciting centre for cave education and interpretation in the world.
* a mix of conventional and adventure-based programs for cave visitors which is, again, unrivalled; everybody knows about the world reputation of the glowworms, Blackwater Rafting is not only a Waitomo invention, no other country offers anything like it; and certainly nobody offers an abseiling opportunity as impressive and beautiful as the Lost World; at a simpler, but equally important level, I don't know another short walkway as striking as that at the Ruakuri Natural Bridge.
* The ambience of the village is one of the great attractions of Waitoino, it is a wonderful breath of fresh air for the average visitor, and its importance must never be  under-estimated.  It is, of course, not unique, but it is unusual in the modern tourism experience.
* Then there is the cultural element of the Waitomo experience: the friendless and informality, the sense of co-operation, and the extent to which the visitor sees Maori and Pakeha working together to welcome them; things that are too easy to take for granted, but which are actually immensely valuable to the community.
* The uniqueness and the quality of the Rabbit Farm, and in particular, the extent to which its blend of tourism with productivity gives it a character of its own, and also reduces its vulnerability to economic change.  Further, it has set a new worldwide standard in the breeding and care of Angora rabbits.
* The quality and real professionalism of the operation at Roselands - probably the finest service providing specifically for Japanese visitors.
* A world centre of excellence in Maori weaving at Ohaki Village: it is not just that the village produces the finest Maori weaving, but rather that few single centres anywhere in the world bring together such a tradition of excellence.
* Growing provision of a wide spectrum of quality accommodation for backpackers and other independent travelers - Juno Hall, and a number of bed-and-breakfast venues.
* All of these add up to a truly high quality tourism experience which provides the basis for one of the finest cave resorts in the world BUT there are also some important gaps and weaknesses:
* Strangely, the first problem is that some of the great strengths of Waitomo are not adequately recognized; too many people assume that Waitomo is a successful tourist resort only because of the glowworm cave, and so under-rate many of the other attractions.  In fact, it is only the other attractions which are bringing the few tourists to Waitomo.
* The range and quality of eating facilities and shopping leaves an immense amount to be desired.  Only Roselands provides top quality food and service, and generally. there is nothing like the range of options that should be offered.  The store and tavern are both the sort of thing one would expect to find in any out-of-the-way village, but they are totally inappropriate for a world-class resort.  And let me be clear that I am not suggesting a glitzy, impersonal fast-food kind of environment: there must be friendliness and informality.
* There is all too little that makes explicit to the visitor the nature and culture of the local region: at the most simple level, the shop and hotel menus feature. at one quality level or another, food which has no visible distinctive link to the region and its productivity, and which is very much what you would find anywhere else. What a lost opportunity! The extent to which the fruit and vegetables market on the Highway is becoming an important stopping point demonstrates the significance of this point.
* Turning to the more important question of the Maori culture, the weaving centre, a remarkable centre of excellence, is not promoted, so most visitors do not even recognize it, even though many of them will have admired the weaving on exhibition in Auckland or Wellington. They should see it in its own context at Waitomo.  However, Joe and Richard at Waitomo Underground are to be congratulated for specifically including an introduction Maori culture in their program.  More is urgently needed to demonstrate the traditional culture of New Zealand and special character of the Waikato region. It should never try to imitate or rival what is offered at Rotorua, but instead operate on a much more personal level.
* The hotel desperately needs an injection of capital to provide for upgrading as a first precondition which Would then enable it to offer a quality heritage experience.
* There are a limited number of supporting attractions - Horse-riding and the Rabbit Farm are both excellent examples, but more are needed. I do not believe they would detract from the identity of the valley as a cave area: Buchan Caves in Victoria with only two cave operations and dozen or so others is still recognized and identified as a cave area by everyone.
* The incredible overcrowding of the glowworm cave inevitably ruins the quality of the visitors experience. This is a complex issue because it is not just a matter of the tour being crowded; crowding makes the job of the guides difficult and frustrating; their job satisfaction, and hence their performance as guides, are both downgraded as a result.
* Finally, I am concerned to see that the level and quality of research activity has declined over recent years.

Now, there some very obvious opportunities here - the opportunity to build upon existing strengths and overcome existing weaknesses are self-evident.  But beyond that:

* The opportunity to open up new markets of the right kind. For instance, both New Zealand and Australia have aging populations, a special package for groups of retired people would enable Waitomo to be a very important provider.
* The opportunity to increase employment and career opportunities for young people in the region through properly planned development.
* Which leads me to the most important opportunity of all - there is still time to plan in a way which will help to ensure the continuing integrity and quality of the Village.

And lastly, there are the threats which are currently appearing:
* The collapse of international tourism is not very likely, but even as a remote possibility, it points to the need for having continuing productivity in other areas and the development of a strong domestic component in regional tourism.
* Too many visitors too soon: there are many examples of communities and cultures destroyed by short term greed and stupidity; currently this is a threat which faces your country as a whole and Waitomo as a community.  I can only agree very strongly with Richard Bangs of the Sobek Corporation who visited New Zealand recently and argued for limiting numbers in order to maintain a high quality experience for the visitors and minimize negative impacts upon New Zealand society.
* The wrong kind of tourism development - it might make a lot of money for some multi-national corporation to develop a series of glitzy modem hotels and a massive fun park at Waitomo, and that would not be Waitomo any longer.  But there are lots of other less spectacular ways of going wrong: doubling the number of bus tour visits, building sub-standard accommodation. selling poor quality food, developing attractions which are excessively noisy.
* Another wrong kind of development would be to have a proliferation of caves opening up as attractions without proper attention to quality of operation.  Caves are not gold mines. And the U.S. experience must be a lesson to others; lots of sub-standard cave operations end up destroying the good operations; and no cave is more subject to vandalism and ultimate destruction than a failed show cave.
* One of the fundamentals of quality in adventure tourism is, of course, the personal survival of the tourist, safety must be given top priority; so again, the wrong kind of new operator can easily destroy the good operators.
* Then there are a whole lot of simple infrastructural threats; water supply and waste disposal must be put on a proper basis before it is too late and the village faces a total breakdown of services; car parking (or shuttle transport) must be provided; the integrity of the catchment must be preserved (and I know a great deal has been and is being done in this, but it is too early to be complacent).
* Finally, there is a threat in the fact that we are all people, and it is all too easy for us to communicate imperfectly. so to misunderstand or even fail to listen to one another.  Let me be absolutely honest, and say that I see a great deal of miscommunication, misunderstanding, suspicion and distrust in Waitomo.  And let me also make it clear that this is not just between Maori and Pakeha as some people suggest; it is also between Pakeha and Pakeha; Maori and Maori. I don't want to enter into the debate about the Ruakuri Cave - but the saga of Ruakuri provides an excellent example of what happens when you have breakdowns in communication and misunderstanding which prevent people working together to solve shared problems.  More importantly, it is this sort of breakdown in community that could make it impossible for you to resist the worst threats which you will face.  As I said at the beginning, the demand for tourism opportunities will go on increasing: whether it is managed for the continuing benefit of the community, or allowed to destroy the community, is very much a matter of how well the community can work together to produce the right result. 

Now that is the picture as I see it; I have done my best to be absolutely honest; you must decide for yourselves whether I am right or not.  But let me now turn to some suggestions for the future again, these are just suggestions for your consideration; I hope you find them helpful.  I will firstly deal with a series of ideas about the nature of community planning and only then with specific practical ideas for Waitomo.

THINKING ABOUT COMMUNITY PLANNING

1) An absolute prerequisite is that the communication process within the village must be improved.  The Village Planning Forum should convene a series of further meetings where everyone can share in tackling major issues, and it is necessary in this kind of process for people to be open and honest with each other about their own aims and hopes -and to trust in each other.
2) Another simple practical but fundamentally important thing is to remember the difference between ends and means, or, in other words, between what everybody really wants to achieve and how it is going to be achieved.  Most disputes in planning consist of a fight about how before it has been decided what is really wanted.  Planning must decide aims before anyone can usefully talk about strategies.
3) If openness prevails, it will be very hard to reach agreement on some issues concerned, it may not even matter if a agreement is not attained; you do not need agreement on everything.  But if everyone agrees that an issue is so important that there must be common ground, then that decision provides the basis for continuing communication and working out a way in which you can eventually reach agreement. Remember that many arguments about being red or yellow can be resolved by being blue: in other words, look sideways for creative new solutions rather than getting locked into a contest between only two alternatives.
4) Finally, there are several levels of planning.  There is already a district statutory plan, which prescribes land use in broad terms.  This obviously needs to be revisited to ensure that it can deal adequately with future needs for the village community. But a statutory plan is not enough. There should also be a strategic plan which will (a) define the kind of village which the people want to see in the foreseeable future; (b) establish a series of strategies to achieve that, and (c) set guidelines for determining the quality of both physical development and program operation.

Now a strategic plan does not have the legal power and hence the control of a statutory plan: its power must arise out of the agreement and continuing support of this concerned - tile village community - and this is why my earlier emphasis upon communication and openness in the planning process is so important.

One aspect of strategic planning might even involve asking a team of architects and landscape architects to work WITH and FOR the community in establishing a set of design guidelines.  Such a set of guidelines would probably include at least questions of trees and other planning to enhance the scenic quality of the area, preferred locations for development, patterns for both vehicular and pedestrian flows, roading, buildings and signage.  But it must be emphasized that these physical design considerations must not be allowed to dominate to the point where the other important issues, such as quality of information and other visitor services are neglected. A strategy plan should not be static; it should be reviewed and up-dated every few years. Moreover, its land-use implications should be built into the statutory plan as appropriate.

AND STRATEGIES FOR WAITOMO

Finally, I want to point to some of the more important specific issues for Waitomo.  Many of these have already been referred to, but this final summary will bring them together.  Most of these are the kind of issues which would be dealt with in a strategic plan, and implemented by one or more individuals or organizations but some may also have implications for the statutory plan.

1. There are some high priority needs for improved infrastructure.  These include:
* a proper and publicly manages system of water supply and waste disposal
* better roading (think of the coming impact of logging in the county to the West)
* more adequate car and bus parking, or some form of shuttle transport
* wider choice of accommodation and of eating places, all of course offering top quality
* within their respective price range.

2. There is a growing need for a single integrated information and ticketing centre; at present this function is split between the museum and the glowworm cave - but this will become increasingly problematic as the range of attractions grows.  Now one of my visions is that the current tavern would be the ideal centre, and that such a function could go hand-in-hand with the operation of a family bistro. Incidentally, I am not suggesting that either the museum or the glowworm cave give up their own selling, but only that they both sell from the one location.  Equally, the tavern may have a place in village life, but if so, it should be re-located.

3. Then there is the question of what range of experiences is offered to visitors.  First of all, I believe this demands a continuing commitment to the best quality that can be provided.  Now, it’s very easy to say that, but as elsewhere, it will take a lot of vision and a lot of hard work.  Some suggestions include:
* a greater diversity of supporting attractions
* making possible a greater level of public visiting to the weaving centre
* developing new markets, e.g.: retired people
* developing a Code of Practice for Alternate Caving opportunities
* re-development of the hotel to provide a quality experience in a heritage setting
* much more emphasis on cultural communication in terms of both the region and the Maori culture
* certainly, maintaining the village character

4. And finally, every effort must be made to ensure resource conservation; no resort based in environmental tourism can afford to kill the golden goose.  In turn, this means a well developed research program - on both resource management and visitor management.

CONCLUSION

In summary, my personal views is that Waitomo cannot accept a continuous increase in the number of visitors, a limit must be set and must be observed, or the resource itself, the quality of the visitor experience and the character of the village will ultimately be destroyed.  Planning must NOW face up to the question of establishing an effective means of “rationing” access to the Waitomo experience. Part of this will demand thinking through whether or not there should be any differential policies for New Zealanders as compared with international visitors.

Newsletter No 13. December 1993. Pages 5-10.