Ecotourism on the West Coast
Ecotourism on the West Coast
Paper presented to the 1st NZ Ecotourism Conference, Greymouth, 9 August 2006
Brian MacKenzie B.A. (Otago); M.Sc. (London); Dip. Imperial College
Director – Planning & Development, Tai Poutini Polytechnic
brianm@tpp.ac.nz
Abstract
With the largest conservation estate in the country, the West Coast of the Southern
Alps is, in many ways, an ideal place in which to grow the theory and practice of
ecotourism. At the same time, though, the driver industries within the region create
tensions that have the potential to threaten this. This presentation examines the
practice of ecotourism in the current context of this region, and suggests some
possibilities for enhancement.
