Central Otago Tourism Operators Inspired

Central Otago tourism business owners who attended yesterdays’ seminar organised by Tourism Central Otago left the day inspired to utilise what they learnt in their own business.

Alison Mason, Tourism Manager Marketing at Tourism Central Otago said “Each year we provide opportunities for tourism operators to learn about current trends and opportunities for the industry. Many local businesses are owner operated and it is often difficult for them to access and learn from industry experts. The presenters this year proved very popular – with almost 40 operators at the workshop” she said.

Jamie Roy – an expert in the use of social media ran a session specifically aimed at helping business owners understand how best to use Facebook, You Tube and Twitter as a tool for their business. He highlighted the irrefutable amount of growth in social media world-wide and reinforced that it is not just sales or marketing – it is a relationship that builds trust.

Patrick Verryt – from Tourism New Zealand showed those at the workshop how to utilise the newly re-launched www.newzealand.com website to showcase their business to a huge global audience. David Ritchie from Oliver’s in Clyde said “We will definitely be making better use of the newzealand.com website now that we understand how easy it is to use. There is also additional benefit to the wider region when more Central Otago businesses upload their information and deals. Doing this will ensure that our visitor experiences gain a higher profile on the site – which is a positive for everyone”

The importance of a quality assurance system to the visitor and the new direction for Qualmark was also highlighted by Brian Shirley from Auckland.

As well as the formal presentations, the day was an opportunity for businesses to network with each other about opportunities and issues they often share.

Rose Quedley of Burn Cottage Retreat in Cromwell said “Yesterday was fabulous and I know we all learnt a great deal. It was very worthwhile and we operators do appreciate Tourism Central Otago taking the time to organise these events.”