Tourism development in the Hot Lakes District, New Zealand c. 1900

Purpose The aim of this paper is to provide a historical overview of tourism development in the Hot Lakes District, New Zealand c. 1900. Design/methodology/approach The paper comprises primary archival research utilising a number of sources including government records, early newspapers, archived personal recollections, guide‐books and Native Land Court records. Secondary sources include the existing written histories of the region as well as contextual literature regarding tourism, colonisation and indigenous agency. Findings In a remote, isolated region of the central North Island of New Zealand, missionaries and local Māori started to provide accommodation for visitors during the 1850s. These visitors were staying overnight so they could view the Pink and White Terraces. The European ideology regarding the aesthetics of landscape helped transform the region into a “wonderland” for British sensibilities, and alongside this aesthetic ideology came a commercial/economic ethic that also transformed the region. This commercial ethic was adopted with acumen by local Māori who provided the required services as well as constructing European‐style hotels at Te Wairoa in the 1870s. Originality/value The paper provides a historical context for the development of tourism in the region through an exploration of the provision of service‐based products by local Māori. Examining the indigenous response to the demands of tourism has been sparsely examined in New Zealand history or in tourism/hospitality literature.