Rural decline associated with government restructuring in New Zealand in the 1980s has reduced the security of the agricultural economic base in many rural communities. These communities must find additional economic drivers to survive, and the appropriateness of possible economic drivers needs to be explored. Lawrence is a small rural town in New Zealand which has developed from a purely rural service centre to an attractive day-trip destination and host for tourism events. In 2011 Lawrence held a one-off anniversary festival. This study focuses on this festival to explore the way in which Lawrence reinvented itself and to assess the success of its reinvention. Twenty Key Informant interviews were conducted with the local council, businesses and event organisers. Further data were gathered through observation and document analysis. This study showed that event tourism has expanded the economic base in Lawrence. The anniversary festival provided economic benefits and helped build a degree of social cohesion. Heritage tourism is being further explored and there is planned a bike trail. However, the Lawrence community still faces social tension as different groups fail to work together and the community feels ignored by the district council. A lack of both communication and cooperation are key barriers to future growth in Lawrence. While these results are limited to this particular case study, they indicate that tourism is a viable secondary activity in rural areas and that there is a need for local governments and organisations to be actively involved in their communities to achieve community cohesion, communication and cooperation.
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Tourism as a driver for Local Economic Development in Lawrence, New Zealand
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