History of Tourism, Recreation Research and Education (TRREC)
The Tourism, Recreation Research and Education Centre (TRREC) is an initiative at Lincoln University to facilitate interdisciplinary tourism, recreation and leisure research and education opportunities, particularly those that focus on public resource issues including the public sector interface with the tourism and recreation industries.
It also seeks to provide a single point of contact for tourism and recreation research and education inquiries.
Mission
To achieve excellence in:
interdisciplinary tourism and recreation research,
consultancy and education, and
to deliver outputs to the industry that are timely, relevant and easy to apply.
Reports and projects
TRREC research projects involve a number of collaborators including the Tourism Industry Association, the Ministry of Tourism, Landcare Research, Beca Carter Hollings and Ferner Ltd., and the Tourism and Leisure Group. These projects include FoRST-funded research. This work has produced an extensive collection of publications.
Staff members of TRREC have undertaken a number of consultancies for agencies including World Tourism Organisation (WTO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (NZ MFT).
What is TRREC?
The Tourism, Recreation Research and Education Centre (TRREC) is an initiative at Lincoln University to facilitate interdisciplinary tourism, recreation and leisure research and education opportunities, particularly those that focus on public resource issues including the public sector interface with the tourism and recreation industries.
Our mission is to achieve excellence in interdisciplinary tourism and recreation research, consultancy and education, and to deliver outputs to the industry that are timely, relevant and easy to apply.
TRREC Research Projects
• Enhancing Financial and Economic Yield in Tourism
TRREC (Lincoln University) in partnership with the Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand and the Ministry of Tourism are undertaking a three year programme to develop tools to enhance the financial and economic yield from tourism. Details.
• Tourism Planning in New Zealand
This research programme, funded by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FoRST), has as its goal the improved management of tourism growth and better guidelines to ensure its sustainability.
In July 26, 2004 the Minister of Tourism, Hon. Mark Burton, launched the tourism planning toolkit which is built on this research programme, at the Local Government Conference in Auckland.
This research programme, funded by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FoRST), has as its goal the improved management of tourism growth and better guidelines to ensure its sustainability.
Tourism planning is brought about by the integration of three key components: demand, supply and capacity. The project has first required the construction of a national model of tourism demand (see Analysing and Mapping Tourist Flows (PDF, 254 KB), and measuring and mapping industry supply responses. Capacity is measured by an in-depth analysis of four community case studies (Kaikoura, 1998; Rotorua, 1999; Westland, 2001; and Christchurch-Akaroa, 2003).
The goal of these case studies is to trace the current status of tourism, to evaluate adaptive and planning strategies, and to provide tools and models to assist Territorial Local Authorities and others in preparing and resourcing tourism plans.
• Environmental Indicators
Indicators of Acceptable Environmental Change for Tourism TRREC, in conjunction with Landcare Crown Research Institute (NZ), Beca Carter Hollings and Ferner Ltd., was award the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FoRST) contract to develop a set of indicators of acceptable environmental change for tourism in New Zealand.
This three-year study, completed in 2002, combined the tourism research strength of Lincoln University and Landcare Research with the implementation expertise of Beca, a multinational engineering and planning consultancy firm. Dr. Ken Hughey, the director of the research programme, explained the benefits of the study: “We will develop pragmatic guidelines which will enable the measurement, management and mitigation of tourism effect on the environment”.
A tourism industry liaison group directed key stakeholder inputs via workshops, run throughout the course of the programme. Updates on progress were made available through a series of articles and newsletters in addition to workshops with industry and tangata whenua. As part of the project a case study in West Coast tested draft guidelines for better management of nature-based tourism. The programme had an integrated approach and involved the identification of indicators that were relevant to the management of tourism at national, regional, and local level. This approach also linked the impact of tourist activities on natural assets. Sophisticated tourist flow models allowed characterisation of tourist types and volumes. Landcare Research provided additional expertise on modelling the biophysical impacts of tourism.
Outputs from the Environmental indicators programme has also been incorporated into the Tourism Planning Toolkit, Performance Indicators Toolbox.
• Energy and Resource Flows in the Tourism Sector
Eco-efficiency: Resource Consumption and Waste Production Associated with Tourism: a Case Study of the West Coast Tourism Corridor.
This pilot project is led by Landcare Crown Research Institute and seeks to measure the energy, water and materials flows through six groups within both the accommodation and transport sectors. The project leader is James Barringer. This theme has been largely initiated by Landcare Research and is aimed at producing a national-level model of energy-use (by tourist type) for tourism within New Zealand.
Estimates of gaseous emissions (and the increasing focus on the Kyoto agreement) and carbon sink (e.g., re-forestation) requirements to make the tourism industry “carbon neutral” are the key outcomes. International air travel has emerged as a significant concern and preliminary research is being conducted. At a local-level, energy / waste monitoring systems are being developed in partnership with Kaikoura and Hokitika communities. Working links have been established with the Green Globe (NZTIA) initiative. In addition, Landcare have funded a PhD scholarship through NSoF funding.
Research to date includes: Energy Use in the New Zealand Accommodation Sector - Report of a Survey Susanne Becken, September 2000 (PDF, 230 KB). Energy consumption of tourist attractions and activities in New Zealand - Summary Report of a Survey Susanne Becken, February 2001 (PDF, 147 KB).
• Rural and Small Business Tourism
TRREC has an ongoing association with Mr. Ray Sleeman of the Tourism and Leisure Group.
Current programmes include a review of official tourism statistics for Christchurch and Canterbury Marketing Ltd (CCML). This research programme will provide an up-to-date and comprehensive review of tourist visitation to the Christchurch / Canterbury region. This review will, in turn, provide a visitor arrival data template that will enable CCML to monitor effectively a range of visitor arrival performance indicators. Attention will be paid to international and domestic markets, existing forecasting studies and potential economic impacts (including events sector). Where possible, regional data will be included.
A series of rural tourism planning exercises has also been undertaken, and include the communities of Cheviot, Fairlie, Temuka and Lake Coleridge.
• Tourism and Development
Staff members of TRREC have undertaken a number of tourism planning, development and educational consultancies throughout the Asia Pacific region. Key agencies include: World Tourism Organisation (WTO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (NZ MFT).
Recent projects include:
ASEAN Eco-tourism ‘Train the Trainers’ workshops.
Training for Sarawak National Parks staff. This project involves the development and implementation of a three-year Certificate of Conservation and Eco-Tourism Management in conjunction with the Sarawak State Government, Malaysia.
The Khanchenjunga Conservation Area Tourism Plan in conjunction with WWF and Nepal.
Offshore consultancy and research is usually managed via Lincoln University’s consultancy firm – Lincoln International.
• Cultural Tourism
See Lincoln University’s Centre for Māori and Indigenous Planning and Development.
Name |
Title / Expertise |
David G. Simmons |
Head of Centre; Tourism Studies |
Harvey C. Perkins |
Deputy Head of Centre; Human Geography, Leisure Studies |
Susanne Becken |
Principal Research Officer |
Kay Booth |
Geography |
Ross Cullen |
Economics |
Pat Devlin |
Parks and Protected Area Management |
John Fairweather |
Rural Sociology |
David Fisher |
Tourism Studies |
Ken Hughey |
Environmental Management |
Chris Kissling |
Transport Studies |
Hirini Matunga |
Māori and Indigenous Planning and Development |
Joanna Fountain |
Tourism Studies |
Ali Memon |
Environmental Management and Design |
Kevin Moore |
Psychology / Tourism |
Axel Reiser |
Resource Efficiency |
Michael Shone |
Social Research |
Simon Swaffield |
Landscape Architecture |
While research teams are built on a 'project by project' basis, TRREC has ongoing links with the following TRREC staff / members from outside agencies
Name |
Title / Expertise |
Geoff Butcher |
Butcher Partners Ltd. |
Andrew Dakers |
ecoEng Ltd |
Prof. Pip Forer |
Spatial Analysis (GIS), Auckland University |
Phil Hart |
Landcare Research Ltd |
Ray Sleeman |
The Tourism and Leisure Group |
Prof. David Thorns |
Department of Sociology, University of Canterbury |
Publications
New Tourism Planning Book! 2006
Understanding the Tourism Host-Guest Encounter in New Zealand: Foundations for Adaptive Planning and Management. Edited by David G. Simmons and John R. Fairweather.
This book provides a unique perspective on tourism planning and management. It makes its case by building a comprehensive picture of tourism development based on an examination of four key tourist destinations in New Zealand and locating these in contemporary national and global planning contexts.
Our focus on local destination area evaluation shows our commitment to examining tourism where it is most palpable: at the level of encounter between hosts and guests. To frame our research we have built a new model to take account of visitor flow dynamics; and the economic, environmental and social interactions that significantly shape both hosts' and guests' experience of tourism. In turn, destination area evolution, while grounded in local histories, geographies and politics, is also influenced by broader national goals and legislative tools.
The pathway to sustainable tourism recognises the necessity for participation processes to ensure locally-responsive, adaptive tourism management that connect local aspirations with national development objectives.
Kaikoura reports 1998
No. |
Report Title |
Authors |
1 |
McAloon, J.; |
|
2 |
Fairweather, J.R. |
|
3 |
Summertime Visitors to Kaikoura: Characteristics, Attractions and Activities |
Simmons, D.G. |
4 |
Moore, K.; Simmons, D.G.; Fairweather, J.R. |
|
5 |
Understanding Visitors' Experience in Kaikoura Using Photographs of Landscapes and Q Method |
Fairweather, J.R.; Swaffield, S.; Simmons, D.G. |
6 |
Evolution and Change in Kaikoura: Responses to Tourism Development |
Horn, C.M.; Simmons, D.G.; Fairweather, J.R. |
7 |
Henley, M.; Poharama, A.; Smith, A.; Simmons, D.G.; Fairweather, J.R. |
|
8 |
Butcher, G.; Fairweather, J.R.; Simmons, D.G. |
|
Visitor and New Zealand Fur Seal Interactions Along the Kaikoura Coast |
Ward, J.; |
|
Simmons, D.G.; Fairweather, J.R. |
Rotorua reports 2000
No. |
Report Title |
Authors |
11 |
Not yet available |
|
12 |
Visitors to Rotorua: Characteristics, Activities and Decision-making |
Moore, K.; Fairweather, J.R.; Simmons, D.G. |
13 |
Fairweather, J.R.; Swaffield, S.R., Simmons, D.G. |
|
14 |
Evolving Community Response to Tourism and Change in Rotorua |
Horn, C.; Fairweather, J.R.; Simmons, D.G. |
15 |
Tahana, N.; |
|
16 |
Ward, J.; |
|
17 |
Butcher, G.; Fairweather, J.R.; Simmons, D.G. |
|
18 |
Tourism in Rotorua: Destination Evolution and Recommendations of Management |
Simmons, D.G.; Fairweather, J.R. |
Westland reports 2001
No. |
Report Title |
Authors |
20 |
West Coast Visitor Report (2000) |
Moran, D., Sleeman, R, Simmons, D.G. |
21 |
Not yet available |
|
22 |
Visitors to the West Coast: Characteristics, Attractions and Decision-Making |
Moore, K., Simmons, D.G., Fairweather, J.R. |
23 |
Fairweather, J.R., |
|
24 |
Moran, D., Simmons, D.G., Fairweather, J.R. |
|
25 |
Zygadlo, F.K., Matunga, H.P., Simmons, D.G., |
|
26 |
Butcher, G., McDonald, G., Faiweather, J.R., |
|
27 |
Tourism, Water and Waste in Westland: Implications of Increasing Demand on Infrastructure |
Cullen, R., Dakers, A., Fairweather, J.R., |
28 |
Evolving Role of Local Government in Promoting Sustainable Tourism Development on the West Coast |
Cameron, A.M., Memon, A., Simmons, D.G., |
29 |
Tourism in Westland: Challenges for Planning and Recommendations for Management |
Simmons, D.G.; |
Christchurch reports - 2003
No. |
Report Title |
Authors |
30 |
Sleeman, R, Simmons, D.G. |
|
31 |
Not yet available |
|
32 |
Visitors to Christchurch: Characteristics and Decision-Making |
Moore, K., |
33 |
Visitors’ and Locals’ Views of Environment Management in Christchurch, New Zealand |
Fairweather, J.R., |
34 |
Shone, M., |
|
35 |
The Values Associated with Maori-Centred Tourism in Canterbury |
Zygadlo, F.K., |
36 |
Zygadlo, F.K., |
|
37 |
The Economic Impact of Tourism on Christchurch City and Akaroa Township |
Butcher, G., Faiweather, J.R., |
38 |
Tourism: Waste and Water in Akaroa: Implications of Tourist Demand on Infrastructure |
Cullen, R., Dakers, A., McNicol, J., |
39 |
Tourism in Christchurch and Akaroa: Challenges for Planning and Recommendations for Management |
Simmons, D.G., |
|
Christchurch City Destination Benchmarking Survey 2001 - Final Report |
Environmental reports
No. |
Report Title |
Authors |
40 |
Johnson, V., |
|
41 |
Biophysical Impacts of Tourism: An Annotated Bibliography (2001) |
Crawford, K., Phillips, J., |
Urlich, S., |
||
43 |
Methodologies for Measuring Thresholds of Change from Tourism Impacts on New Zealand Natural Assets |
Ward, J., |
44 |
Best Practice Policies for Local Government Management of Natural Assets Developed for Tourists |
Montgomery, R.L. |
45 |
Hughey, K.F.D. |
Other reports
No. |
Report Title |
Authors |
50 |
Hawke, N., |
|
53 |
Green Globe 21 Kaikoura Community Benchmarking Pilot Study. (2001) |
McNicol, J., Shone, M. |
54 |
Tourism and Transport in New Zealand: Implications for Energy Use. (2002) |
Becken, S. |
55 |
Sustainable Management of Natural Assets Used for Tourism in New Zealand. (2002) |
Hughey, K.F.D. |
56 |
Emerging Tourism Planning Processes and Practices in New Zealand: A local and regional perspective. (2003) |
Jones, T. |
57 |
Tourism, Water, Wastewater and Waste Services in Small Towns |
Cullen, R., Dakers, A. |
58 |
Tourism, growth and infrastructure demands: data review and gap analysis |
Dakers, Andrew J. |
Educational resources
Title |
Tourism in Kaikoura: an Educational Resource (Book) |
Tourism in New Zealand: International Visitors on the Move (Poster) |
Tourism Planning in Kaikoura (Poster) |
Free PDF documentation
Occasional papers in parks, recreation and tourism
No. |
Report Title |
Authors |
1 |
St James Walkway Study, 1989. |
D. Simmons and |
2 |
Women and Recreation in Aotearoa/New Zealand: an annotated bibliography, 1991 |
C. Simpson |
3 |
A Review of Trends in Walkway Use, 1990 (Selected New Zealand and overseas findings) |
R. Balfour |
4 |
Recreation, Leisure and Social Policy, 1990. (A paper prepared for the Royal Commission on Social Policy) |
G. Cushman and |
5 |
Liberal Ideology and its Relationship to Leisure Theory and Policy: the case of Australia, 1991. |
G.Cushman, |
6 |
The 1990 Recreation Personnel Study: Recreation Personnel Employed in the Central and Local Government, Voluntary and Tertiary Education Sectors in New Zealand, 1991.
|
H. Perkins and |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
Leisure and Recreation in New Zealand: A research, register, 1974-1991. |
B. Rickerby and J. King in association with G.Cushman and |
8 |
"Parks or Playgrounds?": An analysis of the Concept of Tongariro National Park |
Hedley, Simon |
9 |
Outdoor Education in Aotearoa/New Zealand. (This bibliography lists over 300 published and unpublished works relating to outdoor education in Aotearoa/New Zealand. A short annotation accompanies each entry. The index lists all topic areas and additional commonly used terms for ease of use. An essential research for researchers and students of outdoor education) |
P. Lynch, R. Massam and C. Peebles |
Garden Tourism and Its Potential Organisation in Canterbury. |
R.P. Thomas, |
|
11 |
T. Berno |
|
Student Papers in Parks, Recreation and Tourism |
||
No. |
Report Title |
Authors |
S1 |
Interpretation for Children, 1989. |
L. Burns, |
S2 |
Interpreting of History, 1989. |
Cessford, Gordon (Ed). A White, J Gardiner & D Francis
|
S3 |
Tony Lilleby
|
|
S4 |
Sagarmatha National Park, 1989. |
B. Jefferies and |
For More Information
Contact:
Professor David G. Simmons (Director) or:
Michelle Collings (Project Administrator)
Over the last ten years Lincoln University through the Tourism Recreation Research and Education Centre (TRREC) has been involved with many tourism related projects for the private and public sectors as well as not for profit organisations. These projects involved new research to provide enhanced understanding of the tourism industry, development of resources for use by agencies in planning and strategic and business planning to improve analysis and performance.
With the introduction of LEaP the Tourism Recreation Research and Education Centre is incorporated within the Tourism Business and Communities area of LEaP.