Friday 24 June 2016

Border levy brings in the cash

A controversial border clearance levy has generated $7.5 million more than expected after only five months.

There are now calls from the regions for a further levy or tax to be introduced on tourists to fund badly-needed infrastructure - something Prime Minister John Key says is possible.

Figures show Customs and Ministry for Primary Industries jointly took in $27.72 million excluding GST - above the forecast income of $20.22 million. The agencies said the increased levy take was from higher than expected passenger numbers. Read more here.

NZ Māori Tourism's website

As a Māori tourism experience, we want to ensure you are exposed to thousands of visitors to New Zealand via our website - it is free to list and the site has lots of other valuable information for both visitors and Māori tourism experiences. Email Amy to list your experience.

What is Ka Eke Poutama?

Ka Eke Poutama is a practical four month governance programme run from August-November for participants aged 23-35 years. It’s a mix of:

  • Training (workshops, assessments, video lessons, online resources)
  • Guest speakers covering a range of interesting topics
  • Coaching sessions (to reinforce learning over time)
  • Connecting you to Boards to observe live governance meetings and build relationships

Ka Eke Poutama will draw on stories and case studies from Māori organisations and top businesses, weave in themes of innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership, and connect you with experienced governors and business leaders.  Find out more and register here.

 

State of the Tourism Industry 2016 survey

The State of the Tourism Industry 2016 survey is being undertaken by researchers at Lincoln University, in association with Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA). Even if your business, operations or responsibilities are not totally focused on tourism, we would still like to know what you think about the State of the Tourism Industry in 2016.

What to do:

o   This survey should be completed by a senior manager/ business owner within your organisation.

o   You may forward the email and survey link to others if you feel that you are not the most appropriate person to complete this survey and/or you represent a large business/organisation and feel that more than one person should participate in the research.

Things you need to know:

o   The data collected are confidential and you will not be able to be identified by your responses.

o   Your data will not be able to be linked in any way to the database through which your email address was accessed.

o   Your participation is voluntary and you may stop doing the survey any time you choose. If you stop before the end of the survey, all of the data you have provided will be automatically deleted.

o   If you complete the survey, but do not tick the ‘submit survey’ button, your data will be excluded from analysis. 

o   The survey is formatted to display on a desktop, laptop or tablet, rather than mobile devices. It is only possible to take the survey once from a single IP address. 

o   The research has been reviewed and approved by the Lincoln University Human Ethics Committee.

What will happen to the results?

o   The results of the survey are scheduled to be released in November 2016 at Tourism Summit Aotearoa. The data collected in this survey may also be used in future SOI research to benchmark change over time. Click here to start the survey.

Ireland's te reo expert Aoife Finn will visit NZ

An Irish scholar, who became a social media sensation for her support of te reo, will finally visit New Zealand.

Aoife Finn is completing her PhD on te reo Maori. Despite having spent six years studying the Maori language, Finn has never visited New Zealand - or met a Maori person.

From her home near Dublin, Ireland, Aoife told Stuff how she always marked Maori language week in her calendar.

This week, Te Wananga o Aotearoa announced it would fly Finn to New Zealand for Matariki (the Maori new year) and Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori (Maori language week) celebrations.

Te Wananga o Aotearoa chief executive Jim Mather said it was "incredible that she has maintained a passion for te reo Maori including completing a master's degree in Maori linguistics with little interaction with Maori and in a land so far from our own." Read more here.

Exchanging ideas on tourism

In 2016 TIA will be discussing tourism and exchanging ideas in six locations across the country. 

These one-day events provide an important forum to discuss the issues, challenges and opportunities facing tourism businesses as well as connecting local businesses with industry leaders. These discussions are focused on business learning, with practical tools and tips to take away and implement in your organisation. Read more and register here.

Māori are leading the way

“Bet we’re the first Māori to come here,” I whispered to Toby when we landed in Inari, a tiny village 300 kilometres inside the Arctic Circle. It was 12 years ago, and we were guests of Skábmagovat, the northernmost film festival in the world. As temperatures slipped to 10-below and an absent-minded sun wandered off from the violet, velvet sky, I figured few in the remote settlement would have heard of New Zealand, let alone Māori.

Cue Nice Lady, arriving to pick us up. “You know Timoti Karetu?" she chirped merrily. Our jaws dropped.

“Want to see our kōhanga reo?”. “They’re learning Māori?” I stammered. “In Finland?”

She looked at me like I wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. It turns out the Sámi inhabitants of Inari are using the Māori language-nest model to preserve a language spoken by only 370 people in the world. Read more here.

 

Ngāi Tahu Tourism Scholarship applications now open

This scholarship is an opportunity for Ngāi Tahu students who are studying towards a tourism qualification. Ngāi Tahu are looking for future stars who love the tourism industry and want to make their mark. Ngāi Tahu will be offering support with study fees, the chance for paid holiday work and invaluable work experience plus amazing opportunities to grow your cultural skills and learn more about your iwi. If this sounds like an opportunity for you or someone you know then please register your interest here.

Entries open for the New Zealand Tourism Awards 2016

This is the second year of a new-look and expanded awards programme celebrating individuals and organisations that are fast-tracking the industry towards the Tourism 2025++ $41 billion annual revenue goal. There are three individual awards and eight business awards. Entries close on 1 July 2016. Read more and enter here. 

Rise of the Māori Economy

As we celebrate Matariki, the start of a new year and time of renewal, it is timely for NZ Story to renew our Toolkit with a whole range of new infographics and a presentation focused on the Māori economy. So head along and take a look.

Infrastructure crisis looms as 4.5m tourists expected by 2022

The Government will consider setting up a special fund to cope with a tourism boom that is expected to see visitors soon outnumber Kiwis and place huge pressure on the country's infrastructure.

By 2022, 4.5 million international tourists are expected in New Zealand – a tourist for every resident.

Tourism has exploded in the last two years on the back of cheap oil prices and a burgeoning Asian middle class. The strong growth is predicted to last another decade and the industry has set a goal of $41 billion for tourism expenditure by 2025. Read more here.

 

Listing on newzealand.com

A presence on newzealand.com can help grow your business by connecting you with consumers considering a visit to New Zealand. A key role of the website is to drive qualified traffic to you. There is no charge for listing on newzealand.com - update your details, or list here.

Māori Tourism Quarterly

One of the most consistent messages we receive from the Māori tourism whānau is the need to interpret the tourism and economic data so businesses can better plan, look for opportunities, and identify future markets - so we've partnered with Berl to produce the Māori Tourism Quarterly newsletter. Read the first edition here.

Get figures for your business

Figure.nz collect data from all over New Zealand. Discover the information that can help your business make smarter decisions and succeed.

Planning for Inbound Success

Together with the Tourism Export Council, this is a guide to working with New Zealand Inbound Operators. Read it here, or email us to request a hard copy.

The New Zealand Tourism Dashboard is a one-stop shop for all information about tourism. It brings together a range of tourism datasets produced by MBIE and Statistics New Zealand into one easy-to-use tool.

Regional Economic Activity Report

Explore your region - look at international visits,  visitor spend, economic performance, and more.

 

NZ Māori Tourism
PO Box 5038, Lambton Quay,
Wellington 6145 |  P +64 4 474 4682 
Mezzanine Floor, Seabridge House,
110 Featherston St, Wellington 6011
info@maoritourism.co.nz

 

The NZ Māori Tourism team: Hoki-mai Chong, Alyse Lynch, Lee Beazley, Amy Hodgkinson, Simon Phillips, and Pania Tyson-Nathan.