Kia ora tātou,

Mānawatia a Matariki e te whānau tāpoi Māori! As Professor Rangi Matamua, Tūhoe, and Hemi Kelly, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Tahu, Ngāti Whāoa suggested, this is an appropriate way to greet each other during the time of Matariki. The greeting is inspired from a karakia that was shared with Professor Matamua by his tohunga, Professor Pou Temara, "Mānawa maiea te putanga o Matariki" (to honour or celebrate Matariki when it rises in the sky). Watch Hemi Kelly's video here as he further explains the whakapapa of this phrase.

This year, Matariki is due to appear between the 2-5 July. Watch Professor Matamua's insightful video explaining the importance of the sun, moon and stars in his readings.

Of course, it is important to remember that not all iwi celebrate Matariki as the marker of the Māori New Year. As Che Wilson, of Whanganui, explains to Te Papa Tongarewa, "the tribes of Whanganui, Taranaki, parts of the Far North, and parts of the South Island recognise Puanga". 

A congratulations to a member of the NZ Māori Tourism whānau  Hoani Langsbury, Kāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe, Waitaha, Rapuwai and Kāti Hāwea, operations manager at Taiaroa Head's Royal Albatross Centre and Blue Penguins Pukekura in Otago who was named Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to conservation. Well deserved e hoa!

We would also like to acknowledge those on the Queen's Birthday Honours List who have contributed significantly to NZ Māori Tourism or tourism generally. These include: 

• Mrs Hinewehi Mohi, MNZM, of Havelock North, for services to Māori, music and television.
• Mr Harry Haerengarangi Mikaere, of Coromandel, for services to the aquaculture industry and Māori.
• Mr John (Jack) Webster Te Kapene Thatcher, of Tauranga, for services to Māori and education.
• Ms Esther Rata Jessop, QSM, of London, United Kingdom, for services to Māori and to New Zealand-United Kingdom relations.
• Ms Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp, of Auckland, for services to street dance and youth.
• Mr Ted Turua Ngataki, of Auckland, for services to Māori and the community.
• Ms Tere Rapley, of Auckland, for services to music and television.

A number of key events are coming up over the coming months, including entries for the Tourism Industry Aotearoa's New Zealand Tourism Awards. See below for details.

If you haven't already, don't forget to identify yourself as a Māori business through the NZ Business Number. The more businesses that do so, the better the outcomes for us all.  More details are below.

Ngā manaakitanga,
NZ Māori Tourism.

MSD: Support for businesses and staff

Ministry of Social Development (MSD) and NZ Māori Tourism have been working together to develop resources to understand what programmes are available to support both employers and employees through MSD. Read more.
How can MSD support your business?
How can MSD support employees?

The latest from Business.govt.nz

Responding to Climate Change

Over the next two months the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) will host hui with Māori and iwi to gather input, perspectives and aspirations surrounding the impacts of climate change and how New Zealand will adapt. These will feed into the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) - a six-year plan that will address the risks of a changing climate. This plan is due to be published in August 2022.

The framework to address climate change consists of four pou:

• Emissions Reduction Plan
• Nationally Determined Contribution (Paris Agreement)
• Emissions Trading Scheme, and 
• National Adaptation Plan (NAP)

Click here to see Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's flowchart which outlines how Aotearoa will meet its targets. Dates for the hui are yet to be announced.
A number of webinars are coming up that are of particular interest to Māori. Click here and scroll down the page. Today's webinar (Monday 21 June 5pm - 6:30pm) discusses Māori views on priorities in regard to the NAP. 

Tourism data and insights co-governance group

MBIE is seeking your feedback on a draft Terms of Reference (TOR) that will guide the establishment and functioning of a co-governance group in order to provide quality tourism data and insights.

Quality tourism data and insights have been a longstanding matter of concern for the sector, and the major disruptions of COVID-19 have accelerated the need to improve our tourism data system. As such, officials, academia and tourism leaders have been meeting to assess the best way to establish a system. The draft TOR is the first step to establishing this system under a co-governance management.

Click here to find out more about the processes and send your feedback to 
co-governance@mbie.govt.nz by 29 June 2021.

News from Te Papa Atawhai - Department of Conservation

Watch: Fight for the Wild is a four-part film and podcast series exploring the notion of a Predator Free 2050 in Aotearoa.

Māori Business Identifier - New Zealand Business Number (NZBN)

E kore au e ngaro! He kākano i ruia mai i Rangiatea!
I shall never be lost! I am a seed sown from Rangiatea!

The new Māori Business Identifier on the NZBN register means businesses can self-identify as a Māori business. This information provided by businesses is collected and collated as 'meta-data' i.e. high level data on economic activity.

This sort of data is hugely important to iwi, government, and non-government organisations, such as NZ Māori Tourism, to develop evidence-based policy and to understand the support needs of Māori businesses.

There is no direct financial benefit to be gained by identifying as a Māori business on the NZBN register.  It simply aids government to get a better picture of Māori economic activity.

This is in direct contrast to other initiatives such as the government's procurement target for Māori businesses which necessarily have their own verification process.

All you need to do is sign into your NZBN and identify your business as Māori.

Industry updates

Inland Revenue Department

Self-employed customers and other individuals who received a wage subsidy or leave support payment from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) due to COVID-19 will need to account for this income in their income tax returns where the payments have not passed through the PAYE system. These payments are not subject to GST or ACC levies and should not be included in a GST return. Read more here.

In the news...

After nine years, Mori Rapana, Ngapuhi, is hanging up his boots at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds to pursue new opportunities for himself and his family.

Mori has been a key figure at Waitangi Treaty Grounds, making an enormous contribution to the development of the visitor experience. These include building the cultural experience and the hangi and concert products from scratch, Chief Executive Greg McManus said.

"We had a lot of fun imagining what the visitor experience could be like at Waitangi and it could not have happened without him."

Greg especially noted Mori's work with the Police and the hīkoi movement to turn what was previously a focus of grievance and angst into a legitimate expression of different points of view, in a safe and respectful way.

"I think there has been a major shift in the way Waitangi (and Waitangi Day) is perceived by wider New Zealand, in a very positive way, and a lot of the credit for this lies with Mori and the relationships he has been able to build."

We wish you all the best in your next journey, Mori!

Mahi available

Waitangi National Trust: Pou Kaitaki Māori | Cultural Experience Manager (closes Friday, 16 July).
Sport New Zealand: Senior Maori Communications Advisor (closes 5pm Monday 21 June)
Sport New Zealand: Senior Maori Evaluation Advisor (Closes 5pm Monday 21 June).

This week from Stats NZ:

The number of people crossing New Zealand’s border has climbed since two-way quarantine-free travel opened with Australia on 19 April 2021.
In April 2021, there were 85,900 border crossings (47,000 arrivals and 38,900 departures).
Earlier months of 2021 averaged 26,300 border crossings a month. Pre COVID-19, border crossings were as high as 1.2 million in April. Read more here.

Important dates coming up:

23 June: Tourism NZ kicks of its engagement hui in Te Whanganui-a-Tara
25 June: Entries close for the Hospitality Awards for Excellence 2021
28 June: GST return and payment is due for the taxable period ending 31 May
29 June: Feedback for the draft Terms of Reference regarding co-governance of tourism data and insights is due
1 July: Entries close for NZ Tourism Awards
7 July: Income tax returns are due
28 July: GST return and payment due for taxable period ending 30 June

Do you have any news to share with the Māori tourism sector and tourism industry? Send us an email here.

NZ Herald and Stuff have content partnerships with Tourism NZ. If you have a story worth sharing, get in contact TNZ's Anna Smith or NZ Māori Tourism's Dani McDonald.