The implications of Maori perspectives for the management and promotion of heritage tourism in New Zealand

Maori images have long been a part of the international tourist image of New Zealand. However, Maori people have increasingly been asserting their rights to control and manage their own resources. The purpose of the present paper is to analyse the implications of Maori perspectives on the promotion, interpretation and management of tourism resources and to discuss the potential short and long-term implications of such perspectives on tourism development.The paper discusses the implications of the Waitangi Tribunal hearings and the overall assertion of Maori rights over tourism resources. While the articulation of Maori rights is by no means universal, several case studies illustrate potential implications of Maori control and ownership for the New Zealand tourism industry. The paper concludes that the implementation of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi provides a basis for reconciling the interpretive and management demands of Maoritanga with the tourism industry in a manner which can have positive outcomes for both.