HERITAGE TOURISM ON THE WEST-COAST OF NEW-ZEALAND

This study provides a systematic, empirical exploration of eight herit age sites on the West Coast of New Zealand, notably those associated w ith gold and coal mining, Data on each site collected through a visito r survey, structured interviews, field visits and the examination of d ocumentation were analysed through element-by-element comparison of si te characteristics, development, management and patterns of demand, Th e results highlight the diversity which is to be found in terms of the first three sets of factors, with major differences occurring between community-managed sites and those managed by the Department of Conser vation, Few systematic differences were observed in terms of the profi le characteristics of visitors to the eight sites. General sightseers, not enthusiasts or specialists, appear to form the dominant market fo r heritage tourism on the West Coast. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Scie nce Ltd