The Impacts of Tourism on a Rural Retail Sector: A New Zealand Case Study

This paper details a study undertaken in the Coromandel region of New Zealand. The purpose of the research was twofold: first, to determine what effect tourism has on the turnover of the retailers in the Coromandel, and second, to identify how tourism affects employment by retailers in the region. More specifically the objectives of this investigation were: (a) to ascertain the views of local retailers on the effect tourism has on their businesses; (b) to calculate what proportion of every tourist dollar spent in the Coromandel region is spent in the retail sector; (c) to calculate what proportion of total turnover of the retailers in the Coromandel is attributed to tourism spending; and (d) to determine how tourism affects employment patterns in the retail sector. Where possible, these effects were assessed by both sub-region and different retail type. The authors describe the various methods available for analysing data to achieve the study objectives and explain the reasons for their choices. They then outline the methodology of the surveys and present key results. Finally, they discuss in detail what the case study indicates about the relationship between tourism and the retail sector of a tourism destination.