• Home
  • Day Trips
    • From Kapiti Coast >
      • Discovery Day Trips >
        • Spectacular South Coast
        • Petone and Eastern Bays
      • Tickle My Fancy Tours >
        • Pohangina Valley
        • Waikanae Garden Tour
    • From Wellington
  • En Français
  • Multi Day
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog
Welcome Tours
  • Home
  • Day Trips
    • From Kapiti Coast >
      • Discovery Day Trips >
        • Spectacular South Coast
        • Petone and Eastern Bays
      • Tickle My Fancy Tours >
        • Pohangina Valley
        • Waikanae Garden Tour
    • From Wellington
  • En Français
  • Multi Day
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog

The latest from Welcome Tours

The case of mixed identities

30/9/2017

0 Comments

 
As the Director of Welcome Tours, I see myself as being on a journey of discovery along with my Kiwi and international guests. I admit though to some identity confusion. Tourist? Visitor? Local? Who am I when I explore Aotearoa/New Zealand? ​

The label "tourist" conjures up images of travellers from other continents, trekking around in a semi-bewildered state with maps or apps. I think it's taken for granted that we don’t visualise a tourist as a visitor from Christchurch exploring the Manawatu...
​
So here’s a surprise fact: domestic tourism in New Zealand is bigger than international tourism. True! Admittedly I'm not entirely sure who makes up those numbers, no doubt it includes people attending conferences or visiting family members for a weekend. But the numbers will also capture the likes of Welcome Tourers taking a classic kiwi holiday, treating ourselves to the delights of another region. 
​
Picture
Even though Kiwis on holiday here are counted as tourists, most of us are a bit funny about being called a tourist in our homeland. It infers that we don't belong, that we don't understand how things are done around here, that we’re not ‘one of the locals’...  

Maybe it depends on perspective. Perhaps in a global village it really doesn't matter.
​
Picture

If I was on the affirmative in a debating team, I could happily argue that being considered a tourist is a good thing. That tourist label gives us a license to see things from a fresh perspective. We don’t have to pretend we know everything. We are seen as inviting new sights and experiences.

So given that we Kiwis definitely don’t want to miss out on all of the things there are to see and discover in this amazing land, how about we create a new local tourist identity? Something that we claim with pride... 

Lourist' definitely sounds inappropriate! How about 'toural'?  Perhaps not...



0 Comments

    author

    Sue is the Director and Chief Explorer at Welcome Tours. Sue blogs about new discoveries and the things that matter to Welcome Tours.

    Archives

    August 2019
    May 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017

    Categor-ies

    All
    Art And Culture
    Diversity
    Food And Drink
    Heritage
    Horowhenua
    Kapiti
    Manawatu
    Nature
    Sustainability
    Wairarapa
    Wellington


​We look forward to seeing you

Privacy Statement

Telephone

(0064) 04 478 6033 | 021 163 8471

Email

info@welcometours.co.nz
​Copyright 2019 Welcome Tours Limited
​All rights reserved
  • Home
  • Day Trips
    • From Kapiti Coast >
      • Discovery Day Trips >
        • Spectacular South Coast
        • Petone and Eastern Bays
      • Tickle My Fancy Tours >
        • Pohangina Valley
        • Waikanae Garden Tour
    • From Wellington
  • En Français
  • Multi Day
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog