New Zealand Locals Have ‘Gutsful’ of Bad Behavior in Queenstown

The Destination Queenstown Web site proclaims that New Zealand resort “rarely sleeps” with “more than 160 licensed bars and cafés in downtown Queenstown and the socialite is spoilt for choice all year round, any night of the week.”

Lately, however, locals in the resort are making it known that they are getting fed up with unruly tourists, especially “overseas visitors” from major markets in Europe.

“Police, judges and the local mayor say they have had a ‘gutsful’ of overseas tourists behaving badly in Queenstown,” reported the New Zealand Press Association.

“Visitors to New Zealand’s ‘jewel in the crown’ were clogging up the court system with alcohol and drug-related charges, a district judge said this week,” according to the report.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Clive Geddes said that residents “had an absolute gutsful” of offending by overseas visitors, especially alcohol-related violence, and this feeling had intensified in the past two or three years, according to the press association’s report.

And the Southland Times in an editorial titled “Honoured Guest” stated that while “nobody’s going to be putting up billboards proclaiming “Queenstown: The Home of Moderation In All Things,’ limits of hedonistic indulgence must still kick in at some point, and be enforced if necessary.”

The editorial stated that “few places could match Queenstown’s party town reputation” but that “limits of hedonistic indulgence must still kick in at some point, and be enforced if necessary.”

The Southland Times continued: “A climate of disregard for impertinent rules constraining grovelly drunkenness and belligerence, drug use and heedless driving has reached stages where the community, police and judiciary are giving a pretty good impression of being entirely fed up and disinclined towards commiseration when people are called to account.”

However, Destination Queenstown Chief Executive Tony Everitt told Travel Market Report: “Queenstown is a tourism town and we welcomed about 1.7 million visitors to the resort in 2009. Visitors often outnumber the locals and while it’s a shame that a small minority of visitors may act irresponsibly, the majority of people abide by New Zealand laws. Queenstown overall is a fantastic and safe holiday destination year-round.”

Indeed, the tourism market for Queenstown is projected to treble. In fact, its international airport saw traffic increase 34% early this year mostly as a result of the destination’s strategy to promote tourism from Australia. This was done to make up for a projected 9% decline from its major European markets because of the recession.

While rowdy behavior by tourists may stick in the craw of the locals, Travel Market Report leisure travel editor Dori Saltzman, who has traveled to Queenstown, said that it is not like Ft. Lauderdale in its Spring Break heyday, but rather is the base for active travelers to enjoy the stunning natural beauty of New Zealand’s Southern Alps and partake in the active vacations the destination offers.

These active travelers party after dark but Queenstown is not a bacchanalia, according to Saltzman, a tea-totaller herself.

The DQ Web site states: “Queenstown [is] the place to complete your adventure ‘to do’ list. Skydiving, bungy jumping, jetboating, canyon swinging, whitewater rafting, parapenting, heli-skiing…

“Home to the world’s first commercial jet boating, bungy jump and river surfing, there’s something in the air. Queenstown’s reputation as the world’s favourite adrenaline destination is well deserved.

“From the mild to the wild you’ll find your adventure threshold here.  The expansive natural physical environment offers superb air, water and land based activities. Go walking, sailing, hiking, climbing, fishing, cycling, golfing, off-roading, skiing or mountain biking.  Go on, challenge yourself…”

According to DQ, Queenstown is a sophisticated destination that also offers shopping and international cuisine. Plus, world renowned Central Otago wines is produced in the region’s vineyards.

There are 75 wineries in the region serving 177 vineyards. Local vineyards have between 900 and 1,000 hectares in production, producing more than 3,500 tons of grapes annually.

The Queenstown residents who want to redefine their city’s reputation might take a cue from Ft. Lauderdale, which in the past decade has transformed itself from spring break party town into a very sophisticated destination offering an increasing number of deluxe hotels, convention and meetings facilities and home to the world’s busiest cruise ports.

The top off of the South Florida destination’s makeover came earlier this year when it hosted the National Football League’s Super Bowl.