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Story: Tourist industry

First guidebook

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First guidebook

The new guide to the lakes andhot springs; and, A month in hot waterwas published in 1882 by Thorpe Talbot. This first tourist guidebook for travellers to New Zealand focused on the lakes and geothermal areas of the central North Island. More guidebooks soon followed.

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Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: B-K 880-COVER

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Margaret McClure, Tourist industry – Tourism overview, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/23163/first-guidebook (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Margaret McClure, published 2 March 2010.