It has been a week now since Stuart Nash detailed his aim of attracting ‘high net worth' tourists to New Zealand.

As part of his strategy, the tourism minister outlined plans to ban non-self-contained campervan rental. Read more here.

In the process, this would mean stepping away from a policy of targeting backpackers and freedom campers.

Mount Maunganui man Mathew Nash's is in the unique position of having travelled around New Zealand in the way which under Nash's proposals might very soon become obsolete.

In the story below, Mathew shares his thoughts on Stuart Nash's proposal and his experience in travelling around New Zealand.

"In 2018 my lifelong dream of traversing Aotearoa came true in a non-self-contained vehicle.

"The trip thundered by until I inevitably ran out of cash. It was money I had scraped and saved for 18 months to afford."

Mathew says even then, hiring a self-contained camper was simply out of his economic reach.

"On my journey, I met plenty of freedom campers in the same position.

"None of them, myself included, did any ‘s******g' in New Zealand waterways as Nash anecdotally condemned last week.

"The overwhelming majority, like myself, had systems in place to ensure they left no trace."

He says a designated bin bag or box which could then be deposited responsibly, an emergency toilet system (a trick picked up from years of European music festival experience), or simply having the Campermates app downloaded on his phone, showing him where the nearest toilet or campsite was on any given route.

All of these methods helped maintain as green a footprint whilst travelling as possible, says Mathew

"Along my journey, I stayed in hostels, TOP 10s, DOC sites and freedom camping spots. Without doubt, those staying in the latter were most likely to take their rubbish with them, spend money in locally-owned cafes, or work in bars reliant on backpackers for staff.

"Speaking from experience, the higher-calibre tourists encountered tended to be less likely to implement the ‘sustainability brand' that Nash spoke of in his recent visit to Queenstown."

Mathew says there is nothing wrong with Nash's ambition to attract the cream of the crop to New Zealand.

Justifiably, ‘brand' New Zealand has never been more valuable, he says.

"We, as a collective group of remaining travellers who endured the lockdown, undoubtedly appreciate the excellence of this country in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic compared to some of our respective home nations.

"Banning non-self-contained vehicles does not need to be the solution.

"Ensuring that self-contained vehicles are more readily affordable, bathroom facilities are more easily available and identifiable to travellers on the road, and better education and enforcement of a leave-no-trace policy would help ensure the baby is not being thrown out with the bathwater."

He says it's certainly a more nuanced method than a blanket ban.

"However, if that is the route Nash is taking backpackers and campers still need to feel welcome and financially able to visit these envious shores.

"The champagne explorer simply won't cover the difference.

"When their respective Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) visa kicks in many of these backpackers will happily help pick up the slack with New Zealand on its knees regarding a COVID-19 impacted labour shortage.

"Especially here in the Bay of Plenty.

"I struggle to imagine the high-paid tourists of New York or London that Nash wants to lure would be up for kiwi picking once they have had their ‘piece of paradise'."