In January 2024, the Waiheke Local Board entered into a collaboration with Project Forever Waiheke (PFW) to explore Waiheke residents’ current views on tourism on the island, through a ‘refresh’ of PFW’s 2021 resident survey. A new survey was undertaken with Waiheke residents to assess their experiences and perceptions of the impacts of Waiheke tourism on the island’s community and natural environments over the previous 12 months, including both positive and negative impacts. You can read a summary of the research findings here, or the full report, which includes a LOT of verbatim comments from a broad diversity of Waiheke residents.

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2023 has seen some really major challenges thrown at the Waiheke community – floods, serious stormwater problems, continuing ferry mismanagement, and ferry fare increases in particular. The response of the community – neighbours, community groups, the Local Board, and our fantastic social, health and emergency services – has been nothing short of heroic. Those of us who’ve lived on the island for decades know that that response is no accident – it’s built on the Waiheke spirit of connection, support for neighbours and others, and a profound ethos of kaitiakitanga and care for the island itself.

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“Time to rethink tourism”: UN World Tourism Organisation

As Kiwis see our borders opening again – at last – the Project Forever Waiheke team has been exploring how tourism scholars and planners internationally, and here in NZ, are envisaging the future of tourism.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on global tourism, particularly for developing countries and island nations like Fiji, Cook Islands and Tonga, whose economies depend significantly on international tourists and who cannot pivot to domestic tourism.

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