Maori tourism sets sail on a new voyage of discovery

Maori tourism representatives from around Aotearoa New Zealand have gathered for the first time as a national collective, setting a course for a new era of collaboration and unity.

this meeting of the minds, souls and spirits represented the inaugural conference of the New Zealand Maori Tourism Council, an organisation of 13 Maori Regional Tourism Organisations established over the last two years.

The New Zealand Maori Tourism Council is in its first year and thus the focus of the conference was on learning about sustainable operating models from leaders in the field.

The second objective was to provide a major opportunity to put a national Maori tourism picture in front of the wider industry in a ‘showcase’ event.

We are Maori. We have arrived - Hon Dover Samuals. Associate minister of tourism

 

The launch of the NZMTC’s logo, website and statement of intent also took place at the gathering.

New Zealand Maori Tourism Council chief executive Johnny Edmonds says the conference provided operators and the MRTOs to celebrate and acknowledge the growing importance of Maori tourism to the industry generally.

Associate Tourism Minister Dover Samuels says the importance of the Maori cultural component in promoting a national Maori tourism footprint, unique to the New Zealand tourism industry, is now recognised by many.

“The Maori tourism sector will be competitive and market-driven to ensure that it gets its fair share of the tourism dollar,” he says.

“Maori tourism’s key objective is to offer a quality authentic product and to achieve excellence in its presentation.

“The New Zealand tourism sector has now surpassed the traditional heavyweights, such as dairying, as the major export earner for this country’s economy.

“In 2003, international tourism’s contribution to total exports was $7.4 billion - close to 18 per cent of our total foreign exchange earnings.

“Maori tourism will be striving to secure its fair share of that market.

“Maori tourism is moving forward and beyond and we have now moved beyond cooking with hangi stones. We are now cooking with gas!”