Pania's Pānui

This seems to have been the first week in a while that I haven't been on a plane! There has been lots of meetings and exciting things happening, which we are hoping to share the results of with you soon. This is going to be another busy year for Māori tourism but we're prepared and ready!

As always, if there is anything you need help with for your Māori tourism business, we are merely a phone call or email away.

Nga mihi, na,

Pania and the team at NZ Māori Tourism

PS - Is your Māori tourism experience listed on our website? If not, reply to this email and we'll get your business listed straight away.

Te Nama o te wiki (Number of the week)

Overall national guest nights for December 2016 were 3.4 percent higher than in December 2015. North Island guest nights were 5.3 percent higher than in December 2015. For December 2016, compared with December 2015:

International guest nights were up 7.5 percent, and domestic guest nights were up 0.3 percent.
North Island guest nights were up 5.3 percent, and South Island guest nights were up 0.9 percent.
Eleven of the 12 regional areas had more guest nights.
Three of the four accommodation types had more guest nights.

Kei te mōhio rānei koe? (Did you know?)

There are lots of free workshops and seminars available to small business owners. Your local Chamber of Commerce will be good places to ask if there are any relevant workshops and seminars coming up. Also check out Inland Revenue’s free tax seminars and workshops held throughout the country.

Below are a selection of recent Instagram posts from around Aoteaora New Zealand using the hashtag #kiaora - we encourage manuhiri (visitors) to use #kiaora to showcase their experience with Māori tourism.

Wave Six of Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu funding now open

The Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency has announced that Wave Six of ORA funding is now open.

The seven pou of the Whānau Outcomes Framework to which applications must align describe optimum measures of wellbeing. Whānau Ora will be demonstrated when whānau are:
1.    self-managing
2.    leading healthy lifestyles
3.    participating fully in society
4.    confidently participating in te ao Māori
5.    economically secure and successfully involved in wealth creation
6.    cohesive, resilient and nurturing
7.    responsible stewards of their living and natural environments. Apply now - applications close 31 March.

University of Auckland Aotearoa Māori Business Leaders Awards

The awards recognise and celebrate outstanding Māori excellence and success in business. Individuals, organisations and alumni are honoured for their contributions to the advancement of Māori enterprise in New Zealand and around the world. There is still time to nominate a Māori Business Leader by 17 March, before the Awards Dinner is held in Auckland on Friday 12 May.

Training and development

Staff training and development is fundamental to business growth. It can help sales, save staff hours, create more efficient production methods, improve technical systems and more.

Learn about some of the options available for your staff to develop skills, as well as grow or improve your business.

International Women’s Day: Women on tourism’s frontline

To mark International Women’s Day, Tourism Ticker talks to ten women operators who are making their mark on New Zealand’s tourism industry. Whether it’s leaping off bridges, swimming with stingrays, or managing multi-million dollar ventures, it’s obvious women play not just a vital but an inspiring role in tourism.

As we compiled the list below we realised it was less a list of ‘top women’ and more a list of ‘top adventurers’ who have managed to turn a love for travel, exploration and experiences into work they’re passionate about and proud of. We believe it’s but a small but typical sample of all the women working in NZ’s tourism sector.

Māori Heritage Council on a mission to recognise culture with release of new guiding document

Promoting the value of Māori heritage to all Kiwis is the key message in a newly released Heritage New Zealand publication.

Tapuwae, which translates to sacred footprint, identifies the statutory functions the Māori Heritage Council will work within under the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act as well as the role of the council and aspirations for Māori heritage.

Business Calendar

Use this tool to quickly find opportunities, training, compliance dates and related tasks from across government. You can search by region, date, and category.

Nga Pānui (Notices) from members of NZ Māori Tourism

If you have an announcement you'd like here, please email amy@maoritourism.co.nz for it to be included in the next edition of Newsline. It can be anything from a job position, exhibition opening, videos or photos featuring your business, new Māori tourism products, etc.

A lot happening at the Treaty Grounds
The Waitangi Treaty Grounds has released an autumn events programme with a variety of events running from 1 March until 18 May. Events will be held at Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi and in Te Whare Rūnanga (the carved meeting house), while an Easter Egg Hunt will be held outside on the Treaty Grounds.

Tourism Ticker
Tourism Ticker is a new daily digital news and insight service for New Zealand's tourism sector. The Ticker's website will cover the issues, products, businesses and people operating in the industry. Created by two financial journalists recently returned from the UK, Bridget O'Connell and Paul Yandall, the Ticker is produced from Wanaka but has a national coverage. Contact info@tourismticker.com ph 0204 101 9179.