Tourism leading earner for island and still growing

Tourism has become Stewart Island's top money earner but the industry remains largely untapped on the island, Southland Conservation Board members were told.

Department of Conservation recreation tourism concessions supervisor Sarah Dowie said tourism on Stewart Island was still in its infancy but had outstripped commercial fishing.

"What we can say is that with the decrease in the fishing industry, tourism is the main livelihood of Rakiura people at the moment -- and it's still a fledgling business," she told board members at their monthly meeting.

The department was looking at areas on the island that could sustain tourist growth. When it considered requests to open recreation ventures it took environmental impacts into account, she said.

"We don't take into account the economic aspects, our mandate is the protection of the environment.

"We aren't talking a Fiordland National Park here. People aren't queuing up to get into (Stewart Island). But in saying that there are limited opportunities." A Stewart Island resident said tourism was just one way of making money on the island.

"It's a long cold winter when the tourists have gone home so everyone has got several strings to their bow around here." Stewart Island Community Board member Barry Rhodes said tourism income was "much higher" than fishing on the island. The island's classification as a national park several years ago had sparked fears for many locals that tourist numbers would swell but that had not happened.

There had been a gradual increase, he said.

Quotas in the fishing industry made it financially difficult for young people to get involved, with fishing boat numbers down from about 55 on the island 20 years ago to about eight today.

Stewart Island Information Centre manager Lesley Gray said there were about 65 tourist operators on the island and tourism had gradually increased each year for the past decade.

"There is more promotion of the island around the world each year and the benefits are growing slowly each year." Tourism was unlikely to get out of control, she said.

"I think we have got our own protections in place with our weather, that stretch of water and the sandflies. It doesn't suit everyone.

- © Fairfax NZ News