Climate Change Impacts on Tongariro National Park and Sustainable Tourism

This report analyzes the effect of climate change on Tongariro National Park in New Zealand and its impact on sustainable tourism. It identifies key issues and challenges faced by the park and discusses stakeholder involvement in sustainable development.

Running head: Environmental and Cultural Tourism
Environmental and Cultural Tourism

Environmental and Cultural Tourism 1
Executive Summary
During the last two decades, there have been drastic changes in the climate due to the emission
of greenhouse gases in New Zealand. The outcomes of climate change have been predicted to
increase in future. The transformations in the climate such as increase in the rainfall and
variations in the rainfall have already been happened. The high temperatures in the Northern
Island of New Zealand as compared to Southern Island have resulted in higher warming in its
north east region.
Apart from that, the national parks are often prone to extreme weather events such as excessive
rainfall and draughts which affects the biodiversity of these ‘human preserved forests’ to a great
extent. So, in this report, the effect of climate change on the Tongariro National Park and tourists
visiting it would be analyzed. Furthermore, the environmental planning techniques and
sustainable development perspectives by the stakeholders applied to this park to curb this impact
would be assessed.

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Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Overview of the National Park and global challenge encountered by the destination..................................4
Identification of the key issues and challenges confronted by the Tongariro National Park........................4
Importance of the Global Challenge and Illustration of the Real-Life Operational Responses to the
Challenge Confronting the Tourism Industry and Tongariro National Park................................................5
Discussion on the impacts of tourism on this environment as well as stakeholder involvement in
sustainable development..............................................................................................................................6
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................7
References...................................................................................................................................................8

Environmental and Cultural Tourism 3
Introduction
Climate change refers to the change in the dissemination of patterns of weather. When this
change exists for a long period of time i.e. decades to trillion of years it is termed as climate
change. It can be a transformation in the average environment for a short period of time or a long
term or permanent change in the weather conditions of a place (Ministry for the Environment,
2016).
In this report, the effect on climate change on Tongariro National Park situated in New Zealand
shall be assessed. Tongariro National Park is situated on the northern island of New Zealand. It is
one of the famous tourist destinations in New Zealand. Tongarrio Alpine Crossing, Mount
Tongarrio and Ngauruhoe and Whakapapa ski field are its major attractions (Tongariro National
Park Villages, n.d.). Climate change in the national park is caused by a variety of factors such as
increase in the solar radiation received by earth, biotic procedures, plant tectonics and volcanic
eruptions.
So, to curb this problem, various environmental and sustainable practices have been developed
by the stakeholders who would be assessed in the report.

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Overview of the National Park and global challenge encountered by the destination
Tongariro National Park is the one of oldest national park in New Zealand and the fourth
national park in the world. It is situated in the midst of Northern Island and has been declared as
one of the 28 cultural and natural World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The active volcanic
mountains Tongarito, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu are located in the middle of the park which is its
main attraction. Besides this, the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing which is one of the best
hikes in the world is also situated in the national park.
It is because of these factors that it is one of the famous tourist destinations .The tourism has an
increasing influence on the environment of the mountains situated in the park. The pressure is
created on the valuable assets of the nature such as water, biodiversity and climate. It results in
environmental degradation, pollution due to disposal of the waste, destruction of the habitats and
loss of biodiversity due to installation of the infrastructures for the benefit of the tourists.
Due to the change in the climate, the various tourists models and solutions are being developed
as the traditional methods of promotions of tourism are being affected by it. For example, ski
tourism is being affected by the climate change in Tongariro national park, due to which the
production of artificial snow is becoming problematic as a result of rising temperatures
(Université of Genève, 2014).
According to Ministry for the Environment (n.d.) the climate of the national park has become
warmer in spite of the cool airflow from the southern side. The average temperature has been
increased by 0.9oC from 1906 to 2006. There is a decrease in the number of frost days and an
increase has been noted in the duration of the rainfall in the west side of the country which has
greatly impacted the climate of the national park and hence its tourists.
Identification of the key issues and challenges confronted by the Tongariro National Park
The national park is facing the acceleration in its temperature which has surpassed the predicted
rise in the temperature. The cloudiness has been increased along with rainfall leading to snow
falls, out of season frosts and freeze thaw cycles which has resulted in adverse effects on the
biodiversity of the park.

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Due to the climate change, the animals are forced to hunt for their suitable habitats in further
south or higher up which is beyond their geographic or altitudinal range. Some of the species
who are unable to search for the new habitats will be forced to adjust themselves with the current
weather conditions and this may result in their death or inability to cope up with life.
To add on the misery, the timings of the seasonal activities of forest such as breeding, flowering,
migration and growth is disturbing its eco system and hence its species are struggling for their
existence. Due to the climate change, there is a possibility to bring new combinations of the
organisms and new interactions of forest with the existing species which may result into some
deadly diseases.
The interactions of the predator and prey, development of flora and fauna and the below ground
processes such as decomposition is greatly affected by change in the climatic conditions and
increase in the Carbon Di Oxide gas. Furthermore, the existing animals are highly affected as
compared to the species of the foreign land which are existing in the national park. Additionally,
there is a long term impact on the development of soil due to climate change. It has resulted in
intense erosion of the glaciers and their windblown loessic dust which has strongly affected the
soil of the national park. It has also resulted in losing of mineral nutrients of the soil.
Importance of the Global Challenge and Illustration of the Real-Life Operational
Responses to the Challenge Confronting the Tourism Industry and Tongariro National
Park
There is a disruption of the semi-regular cycles of the development and reduction of the species
which are adapted to warm and cold climate in the Tongariro National Park. So, as a result those
animals which reside in their national habitats are forced to adapt to the adverse weather
conditions which may result in their death resulting in the extinction of their species (The
Guardian, 2016).
Furthermore, the impact of climate change has affected the tourism and recreation activities in
the Tongariro National Park. The transformations in the environmental resources which are the
foundation of tourism such as skiing and species habitats for eco-tourism are having a great

Environmental and Cultural Tourism 6
impact. The variations in the precipitation level along with temperature, depth of the snow, wind
speed and humidity has greatly affected the tourism activities.
To curb this problem, the Environmental law of New Zealand comprises of two legislations viz.
the Conservation Act 1987 and Resource Management Act 1991. The Conservation Act sets the
enactment for the protection of land, plant and water of the country. The government of the
country is attempting to remove inefficient subsidies on fossil fuels and providing funding funds
for research to reduce the emissions (New Zealand Government, 2016). It is formulating rules for
developing international responses to climate change. Furthermore, it has encouraged the
authorities and citizens to grow more trees in the national park by giving them financial
incentives for removing carbon from the environment. It has focused to reduce the global
emissions up to 25 % by 2050.
Besides this, the government along with NGOs is attempting to build public infrastructure which
can nullify the effects of storms, rising sea levels and natural disasters. It is improving the access
to water by rainwater harvesting on draught prone areas in the national park (WTTC, 2016).
Discussion on the impacts of tourism on this environment as well as stakeholder
involvement in sustainable development
Internationally, the tourism industry is responsible for emitting 21 % of the carbon dioxide of the
world and it is estimated that this number will increase by a quarter by 2035 (Knowsley, 2016).In
the nearby hotels of the national park, large quantities of waste and emissions are produced, so
the government should take proper actions to mitigate the green gas emissions from the tourism
industry. Throughout the tourism industry of New Zealand, sustainability and sustainable
development are a part of the ongoing dialogue amongst the stakeholders. The identified
stakeholders regarding the implementation of sustainable developmental practices in the national
park are tourism professionals, public authorities, press and the local residents of the country. An
effective stakeholder engagement must ensure the reduction in the conflicts amongst the tourists
and the host community by involving the latter in developing the tourism in a sustainable manner
in the national park (Frommers, 2018).

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Thus the stakeholders are divided into five major classes’ viz. tourists, host communities,
government, tourism business and the industry providing ancillary services to the tourism
industry. Each category of stakeholders is important for sustainable stakeholder practices since
they are the crucial participants of the strategic planning and the management processes.
The tourists should be responsible for conserving and benefitting the natural resources, local
communities, environment and the culture of the national park. In this regard the National Park
Act 1980 has been formulated by the government of Australia which focuses on the conservation
of the national parks for its benefit and utilization by the current and future generations
(Department of Conservation, n.d.). Similarly, the review of the policies of the national park
should be managed to balance conservation and tourism. As since the last five years the tourism
industry in New Zealand has developed itself from 2.5 million to 3.5 million of visitors per year,
so there is a need for developing proper public infrastructure for amenities such as toilets and car
parks ( Tongariro River Motel ,2018) .
Lastly, one such example of visitor management at Tongariro Alpine Crossing is that during the
busy season, the visitors are allowed to park their vehicles outside the national park and they use
shuttle buses for decreasing the congestion and to mitigate the social and environmental impact
as well (Begum, Alam & Sahazali, 2014).
Conclusion
Hence, to conclude, it can be said that sustainable tourism is crucial for any country for its
survival in the long run. The conservation of resources such as water, energy, biodiversity is
important to prevent the probable hazards to the current and future generations. Furthermore, a
change in the climate has great impact on the environment, economy and life of the national
parks of New Zealand.

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References
Begum, H., Alam, F. & Sahazali, N. (2014). Tourist’s perceptions towards the role of
stakeholders in sustainable tourism. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences ,144
( 2014 ) ,313 – 321.
Department of Conservation (n.d.). National Parks Act 1980. Retrieved April 20th, 2018 from
http://www.doc.govt.nz/about-us/our-role/legislation/national-parks-act/
Frommers (2018). New Zealand: Sustainable Travel & Ecotourism in New Zealand.
Retrieved April 20th, 2018 from
https://www.frommers.com/destinations/new-zealand/sustainable-travel--ecotourism
Knowsley, A.(2016). Understanding Carbon emission mitigation in the New Zealand
accommodation industry : A mixed method study. Retrieved April 20th, 2018 from
https://aut.researchgateway.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10292/10458/KnowsleyA.pdf?
sequence=3&isAllowed=y
Ministry for the Environment (2016). Overview of likely climate change impacts in New
Zealand. Retrieved April 19th, 2018 from http://www.mfe.govt.nz/climate-change/likely-
impacts-of-climate-change/overview-of-likely-climate-change-impacts
Ministry for the Environment (n.d.). Vulnerability assessment, climate change impacts and
adaptation measures. Retrieved April 20th, 2018 from
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/climate-change/new-zealands-fifth-national-
communication-under-united-nations-framewo-1
New Zealand Government (2016). New Zealand Action on Climate Change . Retrieved April
20th, 2018 from http://www.mfe.govt.nz/sites/default/files/media/Climate%20Change/nz
%27s-action-climate-change.pdf
The Guardian (2016). Climate change will mean the end of national parks as we know them.
Retrieved April 20th, 2018 from
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/22/climate-change-national-parks-
threat

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Tongariro National Park Villages (n.d.). Welcome To Tongariro National Park. Retrieved April
20th, 2018 from http://www.nationalpark.co.nz/
Tongariro River Motel (2018). National Park General Policy and Sustainable Tourism.
Retrieved April 20th, 2018 from http://www.tongarirorivermotel.co.nz/sustainable-
tourism/
Université of Genève (2014). Tourism in Mountain Regions: Hopes, Fears and Realities.
University of Geneva : The Department of Geography and Environment. University of
Bern : the Centre for Development and Environment. United Nations Environment
Program.
WTTC (2016). How national parks around the world influenced sustainable tourism
development. Retrieved April 20th, 2018 from https://medium.com/@WTTC/how-
national-parks-around-the-world-influenced-sustainable-tourism-development-
6e149cfc0688