MAHI TAAPOI
Sustainable Tourism Development
Understanding who the visitors are and their activities and experiences while in country is a key part of buildingvisitation and tourism businesses. A number of initiatives were taken as part of the TMPIAP including:
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new arrival/departure documentation; -
an inter-island visitor survey; and
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new statistical analysis software for the Tourism Cook Islands and related training.
New arrival/departure documentation
A major revision of the immigration documentation was undertaken to include entry and exit records and a quality assurance survey. The documentation took the form of a multi-fold pamphlet carrying (and part-funded by) advertising for Cook Islands attractions and services. There was a strong emphasis on the design qualities of the form while meeting all the mandatory data collection requirements of the Immigration Department. An incentive was offered for (voluntary) completion of the quality assurance portion of the form. whioci provided information for the quality assurance scheme
Inter-island visitor survey
TMPIAP: Visitor statistics/market information
Prior to the TMPIAP there was no systematic public collection of information about visitors travelling from Rarotonga to other islands despite the growth of tourism in the Southern Group. A questionnaire was developed for self completion by passengers on both outwards and return flights from and to Rarotonga. The main emphasis was on understanding the visitors’ expectations prior to their visit, the activities undertaken, where people stayed, and their satisfaction with their stay, along with profile information.
Statistical analysis
Capacity building in Tourism Cook Islands was considered a high priority to ensure that tourism planning was evidence-based. The programme purchased new computer hardware and software for the statistical analysis of the visitor surveys. Analytical programs were also developed and training given in their use.
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Mahi Taapoi is the specialist tourism arm of Dialogue Consultants Ltd, Auckland, Aotearoa-New Zealand