Tourism is going to get tied up a little in New Zealand soon, or at least “Cushioned”! The New Zealand Government has announced that they are going to be putting “Adventure Tourism Rules” into practice soon, in order to provide a safer experience for travellers.
New Zealand is well known for its great adventure possibilities and is a popular location for those that enjoy an extreme sport or two. Kayaking, Rock Climbing and Body Boarding are among some of the most popular of the sports in this part of the world.
However with recent deaths in New Zealand attributed to some of these “extreme” sports, the government believes that they are required to step in and put a stop to dangers facing tourists. Over the space of 5 years between 2004 and 2009, 39 people had died when taking part in the various outdoor activities!
The rules are going to be designed to incorporate a mass of different activities, even those that range from bungee jumping to canyon swinging! Jet boating, and other commercial activities like rafting will not be included in this, because they already have passed the necessary safety requirements.
This could either damage tourism to New Zealand or could increase popularity of this country worldwide, setting a precedent for rules on adventure tourism around the world. It’s no surprise that New Zealand is popular when you have activities like Canyon swinging and so many outdoor activities to take part in!
New Zealand holidays are a popular experience for British tourists as well, especially back packers. And although tourists may be affected by some rules, costs may also have to be increased, depending on whether or not risk audits would need to be applied to some of the outdoor clubs!
At least we can still all enjoy activities like the one the video above! Even though it looks scary, there is something that attracts us to the exciting and adventurous island that is New Zealand!
