Tourism Whitianga – what could it be very soon?
“Make no small plans – for they fail to excite the imagination of everyday men and women (original – ordinary men).” – Frank Lloyd Wright (famous American Architect)
Beautiful New Zealand is on show to our international visitors, domestic travellers, and our young.
We need to inspire and excite our young to establish achievable goals and aspirations.
We need to encourage dream makers and risk takers.
We need to silence the dream breakers and free ourselves from a life of mediocrity.
The Informer has worked hard on signage for our Peninsula. Signage is the most basic and primary form of communication to travellers. It can inform, create anticipation, pointing the way for travellers especially tourists, onwards, to great destinations.
Look at our signage on the Coromandel Peninsula. You think it’s okay? Are you serious?
Look for example at the words at our Kopu-Hikuai Highway.
Is Hikuai a destination??
It’s no more exciting than a destination to the Kopu roundabout itself.
Kopu Hikuai should be changed to the Great Eastern Highway.
The Pacific Coast Highway
Ngati Maru, would flow along the western seaboard from Thames north to Coromandel and further north.
With signs indicating the Thermal Ocean Village, the increase of our off-season visitors numbers would be immediate (right around the peninsula) and more school leavers and others would be able to keep their jobs through winter.
Let’s build for the world tomorrow
The promise of a world tomorrow through social and economic growth is totally achievable. But we must first change our attitudes and develop a determination for the future which is not mired by poor decision-making using fear or prejudice as a cowardly yardstick at the cost of tomorrow’s great success story.
Our beautiful Te Aroha (Mountain of Love) and its geothermal Domain languishes, as does the Coromandel Peninsula, with high unemployment. Our schools and colleges must be ready to engage the players of tomorrow – many of whom may be from China. Thus, the need for Mandarin.
Set aside fear and prejudice; become part of tomorrow’s success story.
Let’s develop strong multinational Outreach at every opportunity.
We have all the assets required except the mindset – We can do this!
Communication with our RTO is imperative and this needs to be a step in the only direction going forward
TCDC obligations must be to facilitate the upgrading of signage throughout the peninsula. All we ask of the council, is modern and informative signage.
Alan Hopping has lived for 46 years in Whitianga, working almost seven days a week, for the last 40 years in tourism related businesses. In the past 18 years he has created and developed The Lost Spring to be a world-class Day Spa and Geo-Thermal Resort.
