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August 31, 2022
Broken roads and no beds blight Māori tourism prospects
Peter Verschaffelt
Posted On August 31, 2022
Download AudioThe chair of Māori Tourism says Māori tourism businesses in the far north need help.
Dale Stephens has been in Muriwhenua talking with operators and viewing the storm damage which has wrecked roads and closed State Highway One through Mangamuka Gorge.
He says a lot will depend on the local body elections, where there are a lot young Maori candidates.
“I see an opportunity with that enthusiasm for our young people coming through to these leadership roles, to really put some pressure on local government and to central government to create the infrastructure opportunities, get the roading fixed, bring some of the bigger names into town for hotel accommodation, get some housing under way, but I think is starts at that local government pressuring central government,” Mr Stephens says.
He says like Rotorua, much of the motel accommodation in the far north has been diverted to emergency housing over the past couple of years and is not available for tourists.
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