Pania's Pānui

As many of you know I'll try anything once, and as my first attempt a month ago was derailed due to snow on the tracks, it was time to try a change of scene, as I took the Northern Explorer train from Auckland to Wellington. Many of you will know I'm not a great flyer at the best of times, and this provided a great chance to catch up on mahi (and phone calls when reception allowed!) - 11 hours of uninterrupted time to work was just what was needed, although the two hour delay getting into Wellington may have been pushing it slightly!

Many of you will have saved the date of the World Indigenous Tourism Summit from the email sent this week. Let us know if you haven't received it, or would like to be added to the list for further details. Planning is well underway for this event, and we'll be releasing details of the programme and how to register soon.

We'll catch up with those of you who are in Te Anau next week for the Tourism Export Council conference.

Ngā 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.

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.

Napier's Pacifica named New Zealand's restaurant of the year

Pacifica, which has been hailed as one of the emerging stars of the country's dining scene for several years, was named the Restaurant of the Year at the Cuisine Good Food awards ceremony in Auckland on Monday night.

The restaurant and its chef, Jeremy Rameka, were praised by judges for developing a genuine New Zealand cuisine, drawing on fresh and uniquely local ingredients, served in an unpretentious but expertly judged setting.

He said that his goal was "for New Zealand, for the food scene to come up. It's about identity and it shows right around the country".

"I'm Māori, I'm proud to be Māori, but it's not about that. It's our attitude, it's our approach to food. We don't need to copy anybody else, we don't need anybody elses permission and we break the rules and we do it smart."

NZFC Māori Strategy Engagment hui invitation

With the assistance of external consultants, an NZFC internal group has been working on an overview for a tangata whenua strategy to support Māori in film. Over the past year we have identified three key areas for exploration and development: capacity, representation and consultation.

We want to further develop this strategy, in partnership with the Māori film industry, to encourage, enable and embrace Māori aspirations within the sector. The strategy aims to partner with Māori behind and in front of the camera, to support the development of new and emerging Māori talent and to address under-represented Māori voices.

We warmly welcome Māori filmmakers, storytellers and community members who would like to help us explore the development of a NZFC tangata whenua strategy.

CEO Dave Gibson and NZFC staff will attend.

ROTORUA – Saturday 19th August

AUCKLAND – Sunday 20th August

WELLINGTON – Saturday 26th August

SOUTH ISLAND – TBC

Please register your interest here.

Locations and times to be confirmed. For further information or questions please contact Fran Carney on 04 382 7688 or strategy@nzfilm.co.nz

Te Arawa hapu buy Waimangu Volcanic Valley

A popular Rotorua geothermal tourism business has been bought out by two Te Arawa hapu with close links to the area.

Ngati Rangitihi and Tuhourangi today announced they had confirmed the settlement of their joint purchase of Waimangu Volcanic Valley.

According to a statement, in late June Te Mana o Ngati Rangitihi and the Tuhourangi Tribal Authority, supported by Te Puia New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, made a conditional offer for the business and assets of Waimangu Volcanic Valley.

Historic day for return of Te Puia to local iwi

The final steps of an historic process to hand back ownership of Te Puia to local iwi has been signed off this week in Rotorua.

During a ceremony held at Rotowhio Marae at Te Puia, the Crown, represented by Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell, signed a vesting agreement that will lead to the iconic Te Puia New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute business being vested into Wahiao Tuhourangi o Whakarewarewa and Ngati Whakaue interests.

Commercial Advisors Scheme

The scheme funds Māori collectives up to $60,000 to work with a Commercial Advisor for up to 18 months. The advisors offer professional business advice and mentoring as they work with collectives on business development projects aimed at realising the potential commercial value of the collective’s assets.

The scheme is open to collectives at a range of stages of commercial development, from initial options analyses and feasibility studies, through to business case development, strategic planning, or market analysis and expansion. It also supports collectives with assets from a wide range of primary and other sectors.

The Commercial Advisors Scheme is open to Māori collectives, including trusts, incorporations, post-settlement governance entities and similar organisations. Coalitions of collectives may also apply. Applications close 11 September.

The latest edition of Māori Tourism Quarterly can be read here.

Nga Pānui (Notices)

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.

'You can be, do and have anything you want'
This is the motto of The Hedonist, an international luxury lifestyle online and print magazine that operates from Barcelona and New York.

Black Label creates premium customised itineraries for authentic and exclusive travel experiences in New Zealand. With Black Label’s connections, we deliver money cannot buy experiences that will make our client’s New Zealand holiday simply unforgettable.

It was an amazing opportunity and huge privilege to be the first NZ luxury DMC to be asked to feature in a travel article about NZ from a luxury perspective. I had a wonderful day hosting the New York-based writer of the article and showing her some special places. Needless to say she was suitably impressed with what NZ can offer the discerning travellers who are readers of this publication.

Our luxurious tailored experience 'Paradise at the end of the world' is featured in the S/F '17 edition. As an influential showcase for stories of success, the Hedonist is circulated in New York, Miami, Barcelona, Madrid, Dubai, London and includes Soho Houses and leading 5-star resorts around the world. As a media partner of The Hedonist, Black Label will be a regular contributing writer for their online publication. Twitter @blacklabelexp Instagram @blacklabelexperience

Applications are open for round one of the new Tourism Infrastructure Fund
The Tourism Infrastructure Fund provides up to $25 million per year for the development of visitor-related public infrastructure such as carparks, freedom camping facilities and sewerage and water works. The fund supports communities facing pressure from tourism growth and in need of central government assistance – areas with high visitor numbers but small ratepayer bases, for example. The Priorities Statement for round one, which was also released today and will guide assessment decisions, indicates an initial focus on projects that meet current visitor demand and communities in most immediate need of assistance. Applications will be accepted until 4 September 2017 from local councils and community groups with council support. Read more about the Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

Workshops: Crafting your NZ Story
Every NZ business has a unique story to tell. As a progressive nation of creative idea-makers, delivering new solutions whilst always caring for people and place, New Zealand stands out from the rest of the world. These workshops are designed to help you bring your New Zealandness to life and leverage the reason why so many markets consider our products and services above others. The workshops (valued at $650) are free and facilitated by experienced design coaches. They will challenge you to not only think differently about your business, but equip you with a way to define your offering using a simple, value-based chapter framework. Each workshop is busy, taking up only two and half hours, and attended by business owners or marketing communications managers within a business. Workshops fill up fast and spaces are limited.

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