Nga mihi o te Tau Hou (Happy New Year!)

We can't be the only ones who are wondering how it can be 2017 already. Much has been said about tourism in 2016, and we have all heard the figures given to us so many times that I'm sure many of us could recite them in our sleep!

We can't mention 2016 without talking about the Kaikoura earthquakes - we are happy to know that so many tourism businesses are back and how so many kiwis rallied to ensure that people and businesses had what they needed to get back to their version of normal as quickly as possible. As always with natural disasters, the focus will next shift to analysing the response of government and industry, and we look forward to contributing to that.

As we look ahead to this year, we know debate will continue on a range of topics including, but not limited to fresh water, DOC levies, visitor taxes, tourism data, regional spread of visitors, the portrayal of Māori experiences offshore, quality and capability of Māori tourism businesses, the education pipeline for tourism careers, how to ensure tourism businesses can be productive again after natural disasters, and foreign direct investment. NZ Māori Tourism continues to work on these issues and more, and we are continually grateful to the many of you who provide us with your thoughts on these issues.

We look forward to seeing many of you at our rescheduled AGM in Wellington in February, and we will no doubt catch up with many more of you at your business, region, or event over the following months. 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.

Te Nama o te wiki (Number of the week)

Māori businesses contribute approximately $26.6 billion to the New Zealand economy. This includes $20.8 billion from businesses of Māori employers and $5.4 billion from businesses of self-employed Māori. Listed here are a range of networks, tools, support and information to assist all Māori businesses, both employers and those who are self-employed.

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

The recent figures from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) show that the average satisfaction ratings for those who had a Māori tourism experience were (on a scale of 1-10, where 1= not at all satisfied, and 10 =extremely satisfied):

8.5 - Experienced a Māori tradition, such as story-telling
8.4 - Ate Māori traditional food
8.1 - Visited a marae
7.9 - Saw Māori artefacts, arts or crafts in an exhibition
7.8 - Some other activity associated with Māori culture
7.4 - Saw Māori arts or crafts being created

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.

Health & Safety tool for SMEs

WorkSafe has developed a new online tool to help businesses get started with managing their workplace health and safety risks. The ‘Around the Block’ tool is animated and interactive, taking users on a journey through a typical city block. The tool was built in collaboration with ACC to help businesses better understand their obligations under the new Health and Safety at Work Act from a risk management perspective.

Health & Safety Tool

Have you downloaded the Emotiki app yet? It's a light-hearted, easy-to-use way to share the meaning of Maori words and concepts with others.

NZ Māori Tourism AGM

Due to the Kaikoura earthquake, NZ Māori Tourism's AGM was postponed until 15 February 2017. Following the AGM, the Annual Report will be sent to all members of NZ Māori Tourism who were unable to attend, and also be made available on our website. If you have any questions

Rauika

Rauika is where you can find events and opportunities of interest to Māori whānau throughout Aotearoa. Rauika supports Te Puni Kōkiri kaupapa to strengthen Māori cultural and economic wealth, and for an effective State Sector to support Māori aspirations.

Activating Domestic Tourism in New Zealand

Designed for tourism businesses and regional tourism organisations, DGiT (Domestic Growth Insight Tool) is free, practical and simple to use.

Use it to identify which Kiwi travellers to target, when they want to visit, their motivation for travel, what else they want to do and their preferred type of accommodation. It will also suggest the best ways to market to your target audience.

Domestic Growth Insight Tool

Te Ururoa Flavell's Te Reo Māori challenge

The Minister of Māori Development has declared he will only converse in te reo Māori this year. Te Ururoa Flavell told Te Kāea today, it's a huge challenge his wife Erana pushed him to do for their family, but it means his Parliamentary staff will have to step up to the plate as well.

The Maori Development Minister is back at school this week, preparing for his ultimate challenge. Read more here.

Nga mihi huhua (Congratulations)

To Hon Paula Bennett, the new Minister for Tourism and Deputy Prime Minister, and Hon Nicky Wagner, the Associate Minister for Tourism.

To the new Chief Executive of Tourism New Zealand, Stephen England-Hall.

To all those acknowledged in the 2017 New Year Honours.

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.

UPDATE FROM WHALE WATCH KAIKOURA
Great news as of Monday 2nd January 2017 we have been able to commence commercial whale watching trips again! We have been having successful tours and fantastic sightings with happy passengers and crew alike. We are currently switching between the use of our berth and modified trailer unit to load and unload our passengers, we are currently operating up to 3 tours per day and our tour schedule is updated on a weekly basis. Operating from a trailer is how we loaded our passengers in the old days of whale watching. Find out more here.