The Otago Daily Times has obtained a tender document from Doc asking various technology companies whether they could build a permit system for various types of users or visitors to the region.
The multi-agency Milford Opportunities Project (MOP) had previously proposed an option to restrict access to the road "where New Zealanders can self-drive but international visitors must use a park-and-ride transport system".
This proposal appears to have been shelved.
Instead, among the visitors to Milford Sound proposed to be eligible to receive permits included "an international visitor driving themselves to Milford".
Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC) vice-president Allan Brent said this particular type of visitor was "exactly the sort of visitor which causes all the problems in the first place".
"They’re the main cause of congestion, and the main cause of wear and tear on the roads.
"They’re also causing other tourism problems, as they miss out on Te Anau, and just go straight to the national park."
The problem was largely about people renting cars — which included New Zealand tourists as well as foreign visitors — and having little experience of the road conditions or the terrain, he said.
"The road to Milford used to be gravel. If the rental car companies stopped insuring the drivers [to Milford], this congestion problem would disappear overnight.
"And if you don’t want to stop rental cars, you could at least levy them."
However, the wording of the latest tender document suggested any solution to limit types of travelling, or indeed travel numbers in general, was "pretty much off the table", he said.
"The next step will be interesting."
Milford Sound/Piopiotahi is one of New Zealand’s most popular visitor attractions. Nearly onemillion visitors went there last year, and pre-Covid tourism growth forecasts had it reaching twomillion by 2035.
It is located in part of New Zealand’s largest national park (Fiordland) and holds Unesco World Heritage status.
In peak periods, Milford Sound received about 6000 visitors a day, the latest tender document said.
"The proposal is to manage access ... to permit entry into Milford Sound/Piopiotahi for the different categories (tourists, climbers, hunters etc) of people visiting in an uncomplicated but effective way
... The system should also allow the booking of transport and other facilities and possibly interact with other systems designed to enhance customer experience of the Milford corridor", the document said.
"The Milford road corridor and Milford Sound/Piopiotahi itself are under stress", the document said.
"This requires new thinking to safeguard the core character and values, World Heritage status, conservation values and the visitor experience."
The information that is gathered through the tender process will be used to develop a case for project funding from the government, which is scheduled to be submitted in June.
MOP programme director Chris Goddard said the master plan aimed to make bus and tour options preferable to self-driving in most cases.
"We know that many tourists really like leaving the car behind at Te Anau or elsewhere, and letting a knowledgeable tour guide take them through while they sit back and focus on the incredible surroundings.
"A park-and-ride option is intended to significantly reduce road-user risk and congestion alongside the environmental footprint of visitors."
Other options could range from requiring most international visitors to use a guided tour or bus, to an optional park-and-ride service for all visitors and limited, bookable paid parking spaces at Milford Sound, he said.
MOP did not answer a question about whether there had been any change to its approach to international tourists.
