Six examples of how unsustainable tourism is impacting our communities. Analysing the regenerative Tourism plan by qLDC.
Its not paradise (PHOTO: KAVINGA ARIYATHILAKA)
Unsustainable tourism often manifests in areas with a singular economic focus, as seen in Queenstown Lakes District, where the tourism industry tends to homogenize the economy. In communities heavily reliant on tourism, economic diversity tends to suffer. In Queenstown, tourism remains a cornerstone of the local economy, contributing to 41% of GDP and employing 58% of the workforce in 2019 (Infometrics).
What is unsustainable tourism?
Unsustainable tourism refers to a form of travel and tourism that targets masses of visitors and prioritizes a short-term tourism plan with fast economic gains and visitor satisfaction over long-term social, cultural, and environmental sustainability. Rethinking the way the tourism industry operates is a pressing global concern where finding a balance between economic progress and environmental and cultural preservation becomes a challenge.
Unsustainable tourism often manifests in areas with a singular economic focus, as seen in Queenstown Lakes District, where the tourism industry tends to homogenize the economy. In communities heavily reliant on tourism, economic diversity tends to suffer. In Queenstown, tourism remains a cornerstone of the local economy, contributing to 41% of GDP and employing 58% of the workforce in 2019 (Infometrics).
This lack of economic diversification can create a vicious cycle wherein the primary income source of a town or city becomes increasingly dominant, hindering the establishment and growth of other development avenues. Consequently, the local economy finds itself trapped and fully dependent on this mono-economy, thereby incentivizing its further promotion to maximize profits and tightening its grip. The longer this lack of economic diversification persists, the more challenging it becomes to break the cycle and introduce new income streams.
Political will, community strength, and a clear long-term plan are essential to reshaping the economic future of a single economy. Such a plan must consider not only local analysis but also regional, national, and international relationships.
What is the Queenstown Lakes’s Regenerative Tourism Plan?
The Regenerative Tourism Plan, called "Travel to a Thriving Future," is a destination management plan developed by the QLDC that aims to achieve regenerative tourism and a carbon-zero visitor economy by 2030 by focusing on 3 main pillars.
PILLAR 1: Enrich communities and enhance the visitor experience.
PILLAR 2: Restore the environment and decarbonise the visitor economy.
PILLAR 3: Build economic resilience, capability and productivity.
(Travel through a thriving future. A Regenerative Plan, QLDC) From now on referred also as The Plan.
In this post, we will navigate through the Regenerative Tourism Plan developed by the Council and examine the negative environmental effects of unsustainable tourism in Queenstown Lakes District. Afterwards, we will provide a critical analysis of its political content.
Six examples of how unsustainable tourism is impacting our communities.
Disrupts the rental market exacerbating housing crises.
Raises the cost of living for local residents.
Causes social erosion within the community.
Results in a shortage of available workers.
Overloads local infrastructure.
Generates negative environmental effects.
1. Disrupts the rental market and exacerbates housing crises.
Mass tourism disrupts the local rental market, creating or exacerbating existing housing crises. As short-term rentals and vacation properties proliferate to meet tourist demands, the availability of long-term rental housing for residents diminishes. This imbalance leads to an escalation in housing prices, making it increasingly challenging for locals to secure affordable housing. Many residents are forced to compete with tourists for housing, further straining an already limited supply.
During times of crisis, profit-seeking opportunities often arise, with big corporations like Airbnb playing a contradictory role within communities. While presenting themselves as essential contributors to the local economy, they operate within underregulated markets, prioritizing their own gains. This dynamic exacerbates vulnerability among local residents, as unfair market practices push them into increasingly precarious living situations."
When fighting the neoliberal system, numerous cities have implemented robust regulations to curb this unfair market dynamic. In 2017, the Queenstown Council proposed modest regulations to control Airbnb, but they were ultimately rejected by the Environment Court in 2023. Since then, the Council has adopted a more cautious stance.
In The Plan, the Council team acknowledges the necessity to 'Determine the levers of change to manage the number and distribution of short-term accommodations. These may include advocating for regulation.' However, back in 2017, the Council had already released a document highlighting the negative impact of Airbnb in Queenstown, underscoring the urgent need for regulations. Fast forward to 2024, the political strength of the QLDC has diminished, and their language suggests a reluctance to engage in the necessary institutional battles to push for regulations on platforms like Airbnb.
2. Raises the cost of living for local residents.
Uncontrolled tourism can have negative effects beyond just the quantity of visitors it attracts. The type of tourism it generates can also significantly impact the community. For instance, if it targets an audience that heavily consumes fast food, it can lead to changes in the local diet, potentially causing future health problems for residents.
Queenstown's shift towards luxury tourism has attracted a specific demographic of visitors. Businesses in town cater to the needs of these high-class visitors, with expensive jewelry and upscale clothing shops proliferating.
Promoting Queenstown as a top-rated destination with exclusive tourist attractions has driven up the cost of living, including housing, food, and transportation. Consequently, there is growing resentment among locals towards tourism in Queenstown. While visitor behavior plays a role, the underlying issue stems from living in a town that prioritizes the needs of tourists over those of its residents. This unequal and unregulated economic structure fuels frustration among the local population.
3. Causes social erosion within the community.
When institutional efforts prioritize promoting a town as the latest tourism destination, it can lead to cultural erosion within the community. Local values and concerns may take a back seat as the focus shifts towards catering to tourists, causing residents to feel a loss of security and connection as bonds are strained in the name of economic progress. Queenstown serves as a prime example of this phenomenon, where the town's design heavily caters to the needs of visitors, making it challenging for local producers and consumers to interact effectively.
The cultural imagery crafted in extensive marketing campaigns to boost Queenstown tourism often fails to resonate with the locals. The community feels overlooked and underrepresented in the narrative created by these efforts.
The Plan emphasizes the importance of Whanaukataka, or family and community, stating, "support and celebrate local whenever we can. Knowing what we wish to share with manuhiri, we invite them to share equally in the kinship of our communities through meaningful experiences and connections, rather than through transactions."
What we couldn’t find in The Regenerative Tourism Plan is a clearer understanding of which strategies will be used to safeguard the meaning of those words and not fall into an empty marketing strategy. Without deeper content, there's a risk that local initiatives could be co-opted by commercial interests, turning them into commodities to be sold to visitors under the guise of providing an “authentic experience.”
4. Results in a shortage of available workers.
The consequence of uncontrolled tourism often results in a shortage of available workers within the community. As the tourism industry expands rapidly, local businesses, especially in the hospitality sector, struggle to find and retain employees, leading to staffing challenges across various sectors. This shortage not only strains existing businesses but also inhibits the potential growth of new ventures, ultimately impacting the overall economic stability of the area.
Following the Prime Minister's speech in Queenstown, it's evident that the main goal is to make New Zealand a highly appealing destination, surpassing other countries, and drawing in more holiday visa workers. Part of Luxon’s tourism strategy involves removing the medium wage salary requirement and essentially creating a neoliberal equation: MORE CHEAP LABOUR and LESS PROTECTION for local workers.
5. Overloads local infrastructure.
Mass tourism often overwhelms local infrastructure, putting significant pressure on public services and facilities. From transportation systems to waste management, the increased demand caused by tourism can lead to congestion, delays, and overcrowding. This pressure on public infrastructure not only affects the quality of life for residents but also impacts the overall visitor experience.
Queenstown, often dubbed "Conestown," is placing significant stress on its residents due to extensive roadworks and increased traffic congestion. This situation arises from a disorganized tourism strategy, where solutions are turning into problems. Careless road work plans have frayed the nerves of the population and diminished their quality of life, compounded by a marketing strategy that continues to attract visitors despite the town's unpreparedness.
The Plan presents several interesting long-term proposals. Among them are ideas such as potentially transforming the town center into a pedestrian-friendly zone and expanding public transportation options.
6. Generates negative environmental effects.
Environmental degradation due to tourism is a critical factor in understanding its impact on our communities. Increased visitor numbers can strain natural resources, leading to issues such as pollution, deforestation, habitat destruction, and loss of biodiversity. Recreational activities like fishing, boating, and cycling, when undertaken without regulation and by large numbers of people, can exacerbate these problems. Additionally, littering, carbon emissions from transportation (both air and road), and landfill waste can contribute significantly to ecosystem disruption.
Some of the most visible effects include the loss of local wildlife and deterioration of air and water quality. For example, rivers and lakes in the region are heavily impacted by toxic algae. While tourism isn't solely responsible, it is linked to an increase in carbon emissions and other side problems as the push for more property development.
The keystone project for the Regenerative Tourism Plan in Queenstown is to achieve Carbon Zero by 2030. Achieving carbon zero for the visitor economy entails completely eliminating its contribution to the greenhouse effect, distinct from merely being carbon neutral.
The Regenerative Tourism Plan. QLDC. Keystone Project: Carbon zero by 2030
According to The Plan, Queenstown Lakes District emits an estimated 600,895 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, with transportation contributing 27% and aviation 17% to the district's emissions. Quantifying the visitor economy's portion of emissions remains challenging due to diverse sources, including visitors, business travelers, residents, and others.
What is missing from the Regenerative Tourism Plan? A political analysis of QLDC tourism plan.
Having a document that expresses such a strong commitment to changing tourism to a sustainable model is greatly appreciated, especially when it comes from a public institution. The effort behind it deserves significant recognition.
However, the main issue with the Regenerative Tourism Plan lies in its lack of political analysis that could contextualize the efforts within a broader framework. For instance, in Section 4 of the Plan, which covers Governance, Management, and Implementation -even though they have a regional plan- there is no mention of how relationships will be established at a national level. This gives the impression that Queenstown Lakes District reads itself as an isolated entity without any connections at a national plane, including ties with the ruling party and important institutions such as the Environment Court.
Furthermore, there is a notable absence of political vocabulary, with no discussion of the financial capitalist system in which we live. There is also no analysis of whether achieving the goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 is feasible without changing the current economic conditions. Without a comprehensive understanding of who is the true adversary and a strong critique of the neoliberal system that dominates the world, such an ambitious plan may be susceptible to naivety.
