Stargazers B&B and Astronomy Tours are part of the Dark Sky Project

Kia Ora,

We're keeping in touch to let you know what we've been up to and ways you can engage with and leverage our activity. We know things are not going back to the way they were pre-Covid, but we're not just working to make tourism sustainable, but to leave Hauraki Coromandel even better than before the visitors arrived.

Returning international travellers

The removal last month of vaccine requirements to enter Aotearoa New Zealand was good news, signalling a return to freer access for international visitors. Their presence has been noted in our region, and travel sellers in longhaul markets have expressed their relief and confidence that enquiries and bookings will convert to travel.

We have been providing webinars and other digital updates over the past few months and our Explore Central North Island marketing alliance sent two representatives to Kiwi Links in USA and UK, which we followed up with in-office wholesaler appointments.

"Where Kiws Holiday" campaign

This will be the third and last summer campaign for Hauraki Coromandel for now.  The additional government funding has allowed a lot of marketing activity that kept us high on the list for a summer holiday through the pandemic period.

We are including east coast Australia in the promotions for this summer and autumn shoulder and as always, packages attract a lot of attention. So this is your opportunity for an extra feature in "Where Kiwis Holiday", and in Tourism New Zealand activity.

Remember to list your package on www.newzealand.com and through our portal to www.thecoromandel.com.

Hauraki tourism businesses - get set for a great summer!

Join us, Hauraki District Council and Tourism New Zealand representatives and others for a networking and information event for Hauraki District tourism and hospitality organisations on 7 November 2022, 9am-11am at the Paeroa Historical Maritime Park.

Please register by email to tourism@hauraki-dc.govt.nz.

Tourism New Zealand

TRENZ

After a hiatus of 3 years and migration into the on-line conference space, the in-person international travel trade event returns May next year in Christchurch. Destination Hauraki Coromandel will attend as always with a regional booth, and we hope to have a handful of operators there with us. There are opportunities to partner with another business to save costs and we will be offering famils to the region to back up meetings with travel buyers so please contact Lynette if you would like to discuss.

You might consider a presence at TRENZ if you have a new offering, or it's been a while since you attended. The Coromandel industry has collectively maintained excellent trade relationships over the years, but there have been a lot of team changes, so time to renew contacts and to make some new ones.

Regenerative tourism

There has been a lot of coverage in the media about tourism "building back better" and we have been working away in the background on a number of government-funded projects that will do just that. Some of the projects are helping move existing initiatives forward, such as the Paeroa Maritime Park and the Kūaotunu Peninsula Biosphere Dark Sky Project, but the one that will connect visitors directly to our values is the Forever good for your soul industry Sustainability Programme.

The sustainability experts at Instep are making assessments for businesses as fast as they can before the summer rush, but you can still commit and sign up and schedule your appointment for next year if you wish.  The assessment identifies the business carbon and waste footprint with credit for steps already taken, and makes a plan with sustainable tips. You can share the snapshot created with visitors to demonstrate and promote your commitment to making a difference. We know that travellers want to give back to the communities they visit, not in the traditional charitable sense but because they get to meet locals and gain a different insight into our way of life.

We are featuring programme participants on our website and other marketing channels and in our media work (responding to their audience interests). And we have taken up the challenge to walk the talk.  After gaining Ekos Carbon Free certification last year, we continue to scrutinise our behaviour and work to a waste free, carbon free organisation and a predator free Hauraki Coromandel. It is a bold objective but we've started with pragmatic steps, just like the programme, and we are measuring our progress.  Other RTOs around the country have shown interest in what The Coromandel industry (with its greenie reputation) is doing, so we are proud of that.

From destination marketing to destination management

All this means change is ahead for Destination Hauraki Coromandel. The draft Destination Management Plan (DMP) is almost ready, which will map how we design a regional tourism experience that positively impacts our place, our people and our ecosystem. This consultation and planning process has already helped us change our practices in many ways as we transition from a Regional Tourism Organisation to a Destination Management Organisation (DMO).

Although the government funded Destination Hauraki Coromandel to produce the DMP, many partners are needed to successfully deliver on the requirements that our communities and mana whenua have for a positive contribution from tourism. We envisage that marketing will remain a core function of the DMO, but we and our industry will need to work more closely with local entities such as DOC, councils and iwi Māori over a range of initiatives.

Fullers 360 Discovery Ferry

It was blow to hear that the seasonal ferry service from Auckland will not operate into Coromandel Town this summer. Like many businesses, Fullers have been unable to recruit the teams needed to return to full operation, but it is a real step back for our tourism businesses and locals too.

There are a number of local transport and tour operators, so visitors can still access Coromandel Town via Whitianga and most other places.  If you have questions from your guests, our i-SITES and visitor information centres are good sources of regional information.

Ngā mihi
The team at Destination Hauraki Coromandel