End of Surprise Tourism - Sandflies being Mapped

The End of Surprise Tourism- Sandflies are being Mapped

New Zealand has the world’s first user driven map showing the location and intensity of sandflies. After years of hearing about how “surprised” people were by the sandflies, Becky Cashman of Goodbye Sandfly launched the NZ Sandfly Report last month. Visitors to the NZ Sandfly Report are able to both create new entries and search the entries that have already been contributed.

Top tourism (and sandfly) area websites such as Jasons and Great Sights yield no reference to sandflies. “It’s no wonder people are unprepared for the sandflies, tourism operators do not want to talk about them”, says Cashman. She believes with education and preparation anyone can be comfortable even in fierce sandfly and mosquito areas.

In support of building up the entries, Goodbye Sandfly draws for prizes each month. “We are just getting started, but with enough entries, the NZ Sandfly Report will be a resource for anyone wanting to be more prepared for the environment before they visit, and being prepared is a good thing”, says Cashman. She asks Kiwis to make entries (www.goodbyesandfly.co.nz) for where they live or travel over summer, saying that a “no sandflies” report is just as useful as a “hectic sandflies” report.

Goodbye Sandfly is a 100% natural plant oil bug repellent and bite soother that is a great alternative to classic chemical repellents. Based in Karamea on the West Coast of the South Island, Goodbye Sandfly also offers people ideas for traveling and managing in sandfly and mosquito areas, as well as the NZ Sandfly Report, launched in November 2009, which maps the severity of sandflies in NZ.

ENDS

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