News from NZ Māori Tourism
Spring 2016

Tēnā tātou, te whānau whānui o Tāpoi Māori o Aotearoa,

It's been a busy few months for both NZMT and Māori tourism experiences around Aotearoa. It doesn't seem as though the tourism industry has had our traditional 'off season' break this year - is this a sign of things to come?

Some of the things we have been involved with over the last three months include hosting New Zealand NBA star Steven Adams and his fellow players and coaches from the Oklahoma City Thunder, continuing our discussions with government agencies on a range of topics including tourism data, fresh water, infrastructure needs, and investment frameworks. Our work in the regions continues to grow, especially with many Iwi looking to invest in tourism. We have confirmed details for the WINTA (World Indigenous Tourism Alliance) Summit that we are hosting next year, and we continue to find ways to leverage opportunities to promote Māori tourism both within New Zealand and offshore.

We continue to work on ways to address and influence the things that we can, like training opportunities that can be done from ‘your place’ e.g. webinars, business advisory services and of course at ‘our place’ - policy initiatives like reducing compliance. None of these are overnight solutions but they are important for busy business owners and staff.

We are also working on ways to communicate news and opportunities in a way that suits you, our Māori tourism businesses and stakeholders. As part of this, we are revamping our email communications, starting with this, a quarterly update sharing some of what we've been up to, along with content to help your business grow.

By now, all NZ Māori Tourism ,embers should have received their papers for the AGM next week - if you have any questions about the AGM, please contact Lee Beazley on 04 474 4682.

Ngā mihi nui, na

Pania and the team at NZ Māori Tourism.

Māori Tourism Quarterly - Latest Edition

The latest edition of Māori Tourism Quarterly (MTQ) looks further into data from the International Visitor Survey and breaks down what it means for you as a Māori tourism business. This edition also highlights the contribution of domestic tourism within New Zealand.

Te Tai Tokerau Resort College

NZ Maori Tourism has supported the Queenstown Resort College (QRC) in the establishment of the QRC Tai Tokerau Resort College in Paihia.

The inugural intake started at the school in April, and after six months of study at the college they have now commenced their paid internships, primarily with tourism businesses in Northland, with two students completing their placements in Australia!

The second intake began their studies in October, with the next student in-take scheduled for April 2017.

We are proud to support the College, as it provides a pathway for Northland rangatahi to enter the tourism industry as trained, skilled, and passionate ambassadors for Northland, and New Zealand.

Selection of stories featuring you

A Māori tour to the top of a New Zealand volcano - In New Zealand, Marsha Lederman hikes to the summit of a 6,000-year-old volcano where ‘the hand of a god punches out of the sea’ .
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South Island Māori and Pasifika students tour Wellington in waka on cultural tourism course - A group of South Island high school students found themselves wading into Wellington waters as they explored how Māori culture is showcased in our tourism industry.
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Carving out Queenstown’s history - Long before the discovery of gold in the Queenstown Lakes, treasure hunters sought another prize - pounamu, or greenstone. It was valued as a tool, for trade and its beauty, and remains an important part of Māori culture.
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Bush Stories - "Oi, Oi!". They thought they were alone in the bush; hearing someone cry out was alarming. Was someone lost? And again, "oi!", loud and insistent. The two men returned the call then set off, in search. Through heavy bush they crashed, as fast as they could, right to where they estimated the voice had come from. But there was no sign of anyone. While wondering what to do next, whether to call for help or keep searching, another call came: 'Oi!', from further away, calling them deeper into the bush.
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Native Affairs – The Carver -  It's taken forty years but master carver Matahi Brightwell has finally received a formal acknowledgment for his world famous Lake Taupo carvings. Local tourism companies have been taking paying visitors to the carvings for years but Matahi hasn't received a dollar. Now the Taupo District Council is working with Matahi to help preserve the carvings and the story behind them.