You are hereForums / BMORC News / Bikes bring more money than wood from Rotorua forest
Bikes bring more money than wood from Rotorua forest
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article....
" A study by Crown Research Institute Scion shows the median annual recreational value of mountainbikers using the forest is $10.2 million - well above the $4.6 million earned through export revenues. "
"As well as the Australians, Carter said there were also a few American groups coming through, with international and domestic tourists contributing to the local economy through accommodation, food and beverage outlets and other businesses and services they use while here."
What level of jobs creation do you think you could generate with that kind of base revenue?
If Mountain biking can outstrip logging as a revenue driver ... would that be a powerful conservation tool against logging? or development ?
Conservationists on 2 wheels ... where have I heard that before ??
- Login to post comments
- Bookmark & share
That comment at the Council meeting the other night got to you!
That is a pretty interesting figure isn't it, though Rotorua's trails are such a pull in that town, its just riders everywhere and really for what, a few strips of dirt in the forest. The Value Added is massive. Trails are I think just made by people too, not bringing in designers and stuff. The wonders of using a pine forest.
I think a read a figure a few years back that Rotura's total income is something like 17% mountain biking... which is amazing considering that Rotorua is a massive toruist destination for all their geysers and Moari culture.
Rotorua is now a catchword literally meaning mtb trails, it immediately comes to my mind!
Rotorua is called Roto-Vegas for a reason and its a shame it has gone a bit trashy, but it does show how a place can really take advantage of itself to make lots of money from tourism. Really it had a few geyesers, bubbling mud, some Moari history and a lake with some fishing and hills, but it also really stinks of sulpher. From that they have really made it the first call tourist destination in the Nth Island of NZ.
I always think in the mountains we have similiar levels of resourses that have not been taken advantage of.. we wouldn't want to go so trashy as Rotura but the idea and model is something to look at. Our toruism is very much "There are the 3 Sisters, go to a cafe at leura, now nick off".. not exactly the best way to thrill tourists.
The mountains needs to think what do people want to do in a new area on their map... NZ toursim is very good with this... even boring places make you want to spend at least an overnighter in the area. MTB trails are one simple and obvious idea... cheap to set up and maintain but great for attracting people and getting them to stay in the area to take advantage of other things.
By 2017 there will be no more free land to build on and all vacant blocks will built on too. Council will need money so will they open up all those parcels of council land to houses that lurk on the fringes. Or will council work out how to exploit these to advatage in another way for mutual revenue of the area.
We may have annoyed the BMCS with the win at Knapsack, but in 5 years will we be involved fighting with them to prevent more blocks being opened up surviving bushland? Will be interesting what will happen.
That is a brilliant way of looking at the bmcs thing, and i think you are right, i believe we will need each other at later dates!
Some more so than others...