Rotorua targets Quality Tourism Experience

Maaori tourism is in good shape and focusing on the future in Rotorua, said Associate Tourism Minister and Tainui MP Nanaia Mahuta

Nanaia Mahuta visited a number of Rotorua tourism ventures, and said it highlighted the significant contribution tourism operators in Rotorua made to the New Zealand Tourism industry.

”With the launch of the New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 last year, the principles of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and manaakitanga (hospitality) are reflected in practice throughout the range of tourism experiences in the popular geyser city destination,” said Nanaia Mahuta.

“Here in Rotorua, these values have been the fabric that many Maaori tourism businesses have built and developed their experiences on. The key to this is the long history of story telling and unique experience dating back generations.

“Increased participation and investment by Maaori in the tourism industry will become an integral point of difference to New Zealand’s global tourism experience.”

The Te Arawa region has 60 Maaori tourist operator members, and Nanaia Mahuta is impressed by the effort going into identify opportunities for members to work together to target the free independent traveller and group bookings market.

“The role Maaori tourism and its contribution to the New Zealand experience has, should not be underestimated,” said Nanaia Mahuta.

“The past year been a standout period for a number of individual Maori businesses, and they’ve achieved in national and international benchmarking programmes including Qualmark and NZ Tourism Awards,” said Nanaia Mahuta.

“In Many ways these tourism operators provide leadership to ensure Maaori participate at the high level, high quality part of this market, while offering a unique experience.

“Each of these achievements bodes well for the future sustainability of Rotorua’s Maaori tourism industry, and that diversity is also a key aspect of what the NZ Tourism Strategy 2015 is all about. “