Culture is intimately connected to geographical location (Giles & Middleton 1999) and is used extensively when marketing and promoting a place or region. An example of this is the L&P advertisements that claim Paeroa as "world famous in New Zealand-, the name of the town is carried in the name of the drink, localizing it and connecting it to the notion of "kiwi- and "nationality-.
Geography is also, arguable one of the most important facets for tourism, as all forms of travel involve some form of environmental evaluation as tourists seek out and locate destinations and attractions (Ross 1998 p54). .
Tourism is intimately connected to the place marketing processes because of the way it is used to focus regional development, revitalization and promotion strategies. The government; as a way of attracting investment, creating employment and promoting economic growth also regards tourism as a major mechanism for both the rural and national sectors (Hall in Opperman, 1997 pp61-84). .
Globalisation has caused increased competition in various global markets due to blurring of national boundaries, thus the importance of place has become even more prominent for economic survival (Hall in Oppermann, 1997). The segmentation of tourism into various markets, and the promotion of those various markets (Opperman, 1997) has necessitated more responsive and flexible forms of salability and has seen places and locations become commodities to be produced, marketed and consumed.
Tourism.
Tourism in New Zealand has become a major income for the economy due to our unique natural and cultural resources. Globally tourism is growing at an annual rate of about 7%, with New Zealand reaching 1.5 million international visitors by March 1999(Hall 2001).
Jafari (in Hall, 2001 p3) defines tourism as "the study of man away from his usual habitat, of the industry that responds to his needs, and of the impacts that both the individual and the industry have on the host socio-cultural, economic and physical environment-.
