Cooks tourism booming but new approach advocated

An ongoing tourism research exercise in the Cook Islands shows the need for the country to move from attracting greater numbers to having people stay longer and spend more.

Tourism has been booming for the Cooks in recent years but studies by the Auckland University of Technology's Tourism Research Institute point to the need for change.

The institute's Simon Milne told Don Wiseman their research is an attempt to build a decision support system to help the Cook Islands tourism industry in its planning.