Māori tourism to feature prominently during Rugby World Cup

Tourists arriving in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup seeking to enjoy Māori culture and tourism won’t be disappointed. Māori tourism operators have been collaborating with key tourism agencies and Discover Māori - a guide for visitors seeking all things Māori, is now available.

Discover Māori features 115 Māori tourism and retail outlets nationwide and will be available through the i-SITE network around the country.

Discover Māori caters to the growing demand from international tourists seeking Māori tourism experiences ranging from eco-tours and adventure activities, to cafes, art galleries and more.

Te Puni Kōkiri has worked closely with Poutama Trust, the New Zealand Māori Tourism Society and Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED) and i-SITE New Zealand to develop the brochure and to select operators. Te Puni Kōkiri and ATEED have also provided training to tourism providers such as Air New Zealand and i-SITE staff, on the diversity of and national spread of Māori tourism offerings.

“Tourists coming to New Zealand are increasingly seeking tours and events linked to Māori people and culture. It was with this in mind that Discover Māori was created to provide visitors with information on where they can find uniquely Māori accommodation and tours”, said Pania Tyson-Nathan, chief executive of New Zealand Māori Tourism.

“The guide features Māori legends of creation and offers a unique glimpse into Māori mythology and culture, offering tourists a richer touring experience by knowing Māori legends behind geographical features around New Zealand”, she added.

Vonese Walker from Poutama Trust said: “We have been supporting Māori tourism businesses for about ten years now. Recently we’ve revamped our ‘Indigenous New Zealand’ website to align with the Discover Māori guide, and we’ve also developed an online booking system”. An electronic version of the Discover Māori guide can be downloaded from the website www.inz.maori.nz

“These tourism projects have been motivated by the Cup and are creating positive new relationships between the Māori tourism sector and our major tourism agencies. However, our goal is that this work leads to long-term collaborations that will deliver benefit to Māori tourism operators whilst supporting New Zealand’s overall tourism industry”, said Leith Comer, chief executive of Te Puni Kōkiri.

Māori have a natural ability to manaaki visitors and a desire to share experiences unique to New Zealand. Māori culture and the Māori dimension of New Zealand society is of great interest to many of our overseas visitors.

Marae have also been getting into gear with two - Te Mahurehure and Te Hana Marae in Auckland - achieving Qualmark certification that attests to the standards that tourists will have during their stay at these marae. Marae accommodation will offer tourist communal living facilities not unlike that of a kibbutz.

Te Puni Kōkiri has also worked with Rugby New Zealand 2011 and Tourism New Zealand to establish a dedicated ‘Māori Cultural Accommodation’ tab on the RWC 2011 web portal. The ‘Māori’ accommodation tab features Māori operators that offer Māori cultural concepts or practices as a part of their accommodation, ranging from the subtle to the significant. It will also feature the marae who have received the Qualmark Marae Stay Experience grading.