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Story: Tourist industry

Whakaari (White Island) ash cloud, 2019

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Whakaari (White Island) ash cloud, 2019

New Zealand’s wild scenery draws visitors, but tourism is not without its risks. This photograph shows an ash cloud rising above Whakaari (White Island) after the volcano erupted in December 2019, killing 22 of the 47 tourists and guides who were on the island at the time.

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Bay of Plenty Civil Defence

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How to cite this page

Margaret McClure, Tourist industry – Challenges to the industry, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/47304/whakaari-white-island-ash-cloud-2019 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Margaret McClure, published 4 March 2020.