A breath of fresh air

AS THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF NEW ZEALAND’S DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION, LOU SANSON HAS USED COVID-19 AS A BREATHER TO ENSURE HIS COUNTRY’S NATURAL BEAUTY WILL NOT ONLY BE BETTER THAN EVER BUT PRESERVED FOR GENERATIONS.

- WENDY KAY

Lou Sanson has always been at one with nature, growing up “all over the hills” and working tirelessly to preserve New Zealand’s pristine natural wonders, remarkable landscapes attracting millions of visitors every year. So it comes as an extraordinary surprise to hear the Director-General of the country’s Department of Conservation (DOC) speculate that COVID-19, the very culprit that left its NZ$40 billion (A$37.5 billion) tourism industry reeling, may indeed be responsible for ultimately saving it.

“Tourism is extremely important to New Zealand’s economy, our workforce, and who we are as Kiwis – connecting us to our natural and cultural heritage. While I acknowledge the huge suffering inflicted on the industry, I think ours will ultimately be an optimistic COVID story,” says Lou. “There is a silver lining.”

In March, to save lives and prevent the spread of the coronavirus, New Zealand closed its doors to international visitors – of which 3.89 million were recorded last year – while more than 1,200 DOC huts, camp sites and lodges scattered in iconic conservation areas such as Milford Sound and Tongariro Alpine Crossing were also closed to domestic tourists.

“There’s no doubt COVID absolutely decimated our tourism industry, but it’s also given us the opportunity to reset,” Lou explains. “Back in February, DOC was struggling to keep up with the growth of tourism, with everything our visitors do tending to be related to our unique wildlife, forests, waters, and Great Walks. Our opportunity now is to look at how we can support a thriving tourism industry that cherishes and gives back to the awesome nature and cultural heritage it is dependent on.