Clients’ motivations, perceptions, expectations and satisfaction levels: The New Zealand mountain guiding industry

Abstract

Mountain guiding has been offered as an activity for tourists to New Zealand for over a century. In the late Nineteenth Century European guides, accompanying clients, introduced techniques to New Zealanders working at the first Hermitage Hotel at Mt Cook who then chose mountain guiding as their profession. Guides today continue a tradition based on experience, skills and knowledge that enables them to operate as successfully as the mountains will allow. The New Zealand Mountain Guides association (NZMGA) has a qualification framework, certification and safety standards that are internationally recognised by the International Union of Mountain Guides (UIAGM). Companies offer year-round activities such as heli-skiing, avalanche courses, glacier walks, trekking, mountaineering and rock climbing courses, ice climbing and high guiding. The latter ranges from high altitude tramping, e.g. the Copland Pass, to ascents of major peaks in New Zealand or overseas in Europe, Nepal, South America, Alaska and Antarctica. Issues faced by the NZMGA include competition from overseas companies, concession procedures, maintaining traditional markets and seeking new ones, access to Mt Cook/Aoraki under Treaty claims, increased aircraft noise affecting product quality and potential conflict with other user groups. Over the 1997/98 summer climbing season the writer will conduct research focussing on the clients of NZMGA guides.